All For You
by RinKri
Summary: A story between an OC Uchiha Suiren and Uchiha Itachi. Suiren has always loved Itachi most in the Naruto series, so when she is given another chance at life she chooses to reincarnate in the Naruto world to save Itachi from his sad fate. As she spends time with Itachi, how will the two's relationship develop? How will Itachi feel for this girl? Read to find out!
1. Prologue

Prologue

-In a certain apartment during midnight

A young girl in her early twenties blew her nose with a tissue.

"Ahh! Nothing beats binge-watching Itachi's arc on a peaceful night after work!" Sayumi cried while wiping her eyes.

"There's no one who can beat me when it comes to knowing everything about "Naruto"! I wish I could live in a world with chakra… Even better if it was with Itachi…" She giggled as she closed her laptop. Just then, her stomach growled.

"Ah, all my emotions piling up caused me to become hungry… I guess I'll take a quick stop at the convenience store before going to sleep for the night."

Sayumi grabbed a light jacket and her wallet and walked out into the fresh air. She hummed "Blue Bird" as she walked through the quiet streets to the store, and quickly browsed through the aisles before deciding on ice cream.

As Sayumi walked out of the sliding doors with the ice cream in her mouth, she shivered, noticing that it was slightly windier than it was just a couple minutes ago, and sped up her pace to get home. Sayumi reached the street and pressed the button on the post, waiting for the crosswalk to change signs. She heard the sound of a car speeding closer, but didn't pay attention because the stoplight had turned yellow. Any second now and she would be able to walk across the street.

Suddenly, a huge gust of wind blew through the air, so strong that it threw Sayumi's balance off.

"Wha-?" She cried as she wobbled on her feet. She regained her balance and threw her hands up, trying to shield herself while waiting for the wind to die down. Sayumi was 5 feet 4 inches, and although it wasn't a short height, she was on the slim side at 105 pounds, so it was hard to fight against the force of the wind.

But she was hit with a second wave of wind, this time an even stronger one, and before she knew it, she had tripped over her feet into the street.

It was as if everything was going in slow motion in Sayumi's eyes. As she fell into the street, her eyes widened as she saw the car come closer, its yellow lights flashing at her…

Bam!

Sayumi's world turned black for a few seconds. As the pain forced her to regain consciousness, she opened her eyes to the dark night sky. Groaning, she tried to move her body, but it was as if her whole figure had gone numb; she couldn't feel anything.

Sayumi tried to turn her head slightly, and she whimpered as she saw her bloodied body. She painstakingly turned her head to the side, but all she saw was a pool of blood near her head. Her ice cream had flown away a small distance, the cream melting away into the black asphalt.

"Hey! Are you ok?! Oh my gosh, it's just a young girl! The wind-" Sayumi heard a man's voice off in the distance, but it was already too late. Her breathing was getting slower, and her world was starting to fade out into black.

 _I still needed to watch Boruto…_ she thought as she slowly closed her eyes.

* * *

"Child," a voice rang out.

Sayumi gasped awake and found herself in a room filled with white. She blinked.

 _That's weird_ , she thought. _I was going to the convenience store after watching "Naruto Shippuden," and then… That's right_. Sayumi's eyes started to fill with tears and she hugged her arms to herself.

 _I died…_

"Child," A voice sounded again. Sayumi turned to the direction of the voice and saw a person dressed in white and gold. She squinted her eyes. The man was beautiful and was giving off an ethereal glow. _Wait. Normal people don't glow._

"I am the god of life," The man introduced himself, and he bowed his head to Sayumi. "I'm sorry, I was quarreling with the god of death, and you were caught up in our dispute. The sudden change in weather was caused from our clashing energies."

Sayumi listened to his words and her eyes narrowed. _So basically I died for nothing?_

The god quickly spoke up when he saw her expression.

"Do not fret, my child," He consoled her. "I am the god who gives life, and your life has been unfairly taken due to my act of selfishness. Therefore, I am willing to give you another life. A rebirth anywhere you want. You can tell me your wishes. I will grant whatever you desire."

"Another… life…" Sayumi repeated his words. Sure, it was unfair to die so suddenly, but did she want to go through school again? She wondered if she had any regrets.

 _I_ _ **did**_ _not get to finish the new Naruto series… Wait._

"I want to be reborn in Naruto's world," She blurted out.

The god stared at her. "Naruto…? As in the anime… Naruto?"

Sayumi nodded vigorously. "I want to make a world where I save and make Itachi happy!"

The god stared at Sayumi even harder in disbelief.

"You want to be reborn to live for someone else's happiness? What about your own happiness?"

"Just being by Itachi's side would fill me with joy!" She answered cheerfully.

"I see… I never would have expected this kind of response," The god laughed softly.

"Very well. For someone like you I wouldn't mind giving you a little extra gift. Name any powers you would like."

"Then, I want to be super OP!"

"… Ah?"

"I want to be unbeatable! And super smart! And talented in medical ninjutsu! And really good at genjutsu, taijutsu, and ninjutsu! And I want the Rinnegan, Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, and Byaku-"

"Wait wait wait!" The god held up his hands. "That's a bit too much, don't you think?"

"… You promised anything…"

"Ugh," The god pinched the space between his eyes. "Even all that would be a bit too much for me… How about this? I will make you a prodigy, so you will be able to learn anything you desire. As for the eyes… giving all three of those is beyond me, so please give up one of them."

Sayumi pouted for a second, then thought hard.

"… Byakugan…" She said grudgingly.

"All right then, I'll grant you everything else," He smiled and raised his hand.

"Wait." Sayumi interrupted him.

"Yes?" The god lowered his hand.

"Could you grant me one more jutsu?"

"What jutsu?"

Sayumi breathed in deeply. "I… I want to be able to use Rinne Rebirth but… I want to be able to use it without dying, and more than once."

The god gasped in disbelief and his smile thinned into a frown. "Are you not being selfish with this request? To not die from using such a skill…"

"Please!" Sayumi begged. "I won't use it unnecessarily! I have a whole plan for this! Please! It's for my happiness!"

"You…" the god sighed. "Even for me that is too big of a request… After all, I am the god of life. Those who die at their time should remain dead."

Sayumi's head sank. What if…?

"How about if I use it I'll fall into a coma for a long time? And to prove that I won't use it too much you can make the time I fall asleep longer the more I use it?" She suggested.

The god pondered her words. He sighed. "Fine. But I'm adding a condition. You will be almost invincible as long as you act smart. But that will not be the case after you use that technique. You will have a few minutes before you fall into a coma, and in those few minutes you will be vulnerable. After all, it is a huge technique that takes up a lot of chakra. You will also be very awake for a while after waking up, until your chakra fully returns."

Sayumi agreed in a heartbeat. "I agree to your terms."

The god sighed once more. He had met with a tough one, but her heart seemed pure. It seemed that he wouldn't be bored for a long time watching over her.

"It's time for you to go now," He said as he raised his hands again. A bright light formed in his palm and grew brighter and brighter, forcing Sayumi to cover her face with her hands. The god's body became enveloped in a gold light as well, and Sayumi felt his warmth surround her. His voice grew in volume and rang powerfully in the air.

"To fulfil your requests, I won't be able to return your memories until you are a certain age in that world. And your living conditions will be a bit harsh. But it is all for your sake. It is up to you to decide how you want to live, whether it's to waste your life or to spend it wisely. With that said, I wish you good luck and happiness in your new life. Remember that I'm always by your side. Now go, and embrace your new self!" He cried, and Sayumi felt the warmness envelope her.

"Thank you," She smiled as the world turned an even brighter white and cut off her vision.

* * *

A/N: Hello, I'm back! I've been working on this one ever since I finished my last story, but I wasn't sure I wanted to post it before I finished the whole story, because I didn't want to potentially become a flake who might ditch her story in the future… However, it is the new year, so I thought I would make it a goal to finish this story. It'll definitely be difficult. I have very hard classes this upcoming school quarter (15 hours of lab yooo kms) so I don't think I will be able to type new chapters often. However, I have a little over 20 chapters typed up, so hopefully that will last until summer break lmao. I will be posting the first chapter shortly after this so you guys can choose if this story piques your interest or not. See you later!


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

-3 years old

"Papa! I can see through you!" Suiren laughed as she ran towards her grim father, who lifted his head from his clasped hands. His eyes widened at the sight of her.

"Byakugan…?! How… Why!" Uchiha Kagami glared at his illegitimate daughter.

"Papa?" Suiren stopped running, her eyes filled with fear.

Kagami was filled with frustration. He had been careless and had had an affair with a woman from the Uzumaki clan, resulting in Suiren being born. His red-haired lover had died shortly after giving birth, leaving him to take care of his secret daughter. To make matters even worse, his Uchiha wife had found out about his activities…

How was it possible that she had the Byakugan? She had thankfully been born with his dark hair and black eyes. He had been counting on her to awaken the Sharingan so that he could at least keep her in the Uchiha compound. Were the legends that claimed the Sharingan was descended from the Byakugan true?

"An anomaly…" Kagami whispered. He stared at his daughter who had stayed glued to the same spot, watching him with her white, observant eyes. This was not his daughter. He had to get rid of her somehow.

Kagami stood and briskly walked away from Suiren, who didn't follow after him.

Even though she was only three years old, Suiren had been born with a brilliant mind, and she understood immediately when she became able to think that her father despised her.

"Papa…" She murmured at the disappearing view of her father's back.

* * *

-A few weeks later

"Papa…?" Suiren gripped her father's hand as the two stood in front of the Hyuga head in the Hyuga compound. She didn't have a good feeling about what was about to happen.

"She's your daughter," Yhe old man with white eyes said. "We don't need some girl descended from the Uchihas."

"She has the Byakugan," Kagami answered.

"So? We don't need some fake."

"I never considered her my daughter. You can do whatever you want with her, as long as you take her off my hands. I'm begging you. Make sure she is never revealed to the public."

The Hyuga head stared at Suiren, who had understood the situation from their conversation. He sighed.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to make her a Hyuga slave. Very well. We shall take her and brand her with our curse when she becomes of age. Leave the child and go, Uchiha."

Kagami roughly released his hand from Suiren's grip and pushed her to the elder. He turned and started walking away. Suiren stared at her father. Was he really leaving her here?

"Papa!" Suiren cried, but the elder held her arm to prevent her from running.

"Don't call me that, you monster," Kagami answered as he looked at Suiren with harsh, unfeeling eyes. "You were never my daughter."

Suiren stopped screaming when she heard his words. Only her tears continued to flow as she watched her father teleport away.

"Please tell Papa to come back," She begged to the Hyuga elder, but what she received next shocked her.

 _Slap!_

"Silence!" yelled the old man as Suiren held her stinging cheek. "We graciously took you in just because you were blessed with our kekkei genkai, so you better prove your worth or we'll kick you out!"

He roughly pulled her inside the house and threw her into an empty room at the far corner of the house. Suiren fell onto the tatami mats and continued crying as she silently whispered for her father.

"Crying is only for the weak," The elder barked. "As of now, you are just a slave to my clan. Starting tomorrow, you will be training from morning to night every day until you are of satisfactory strength, although I doubt you will be able to handle our techniques. I will come fetch you tomorrow morning. You are to never leave this room, or there will be severe consequences!" And with that, he slammed the sliding door shut.

Suiren lay on the floor in denial. Had she truly been thrown away by her own father? Yes, it was the truth. There was no one for her to rely on now.

 _I'm scared_ , she thought as new tears flowed. She curled into a ball in the corner of the empty room. How long would she have to stay trapped here? What was going to happen to her in the future?

"Someone, save me…" She cried as her eyes closed for the night.

* * *

-7 months later

"Again!" the elder barked. Suiren panted as she painstakingly pushed herself off from the ground and took an offensive stance.

The two were in a secret, underground dojo that was only known to the head of the Hyuga family and his direct descendants. The two sparred again and again with the Gentle Fist technique, until finally Suiren collapsed from having all of her chakra points hit.

"That is enough for today," The old man scrutinized Suiren's crumpled figure for a few seconds before leaving the training grounds.

As he walked up the stairs, the elder thought about Suiren's progress. In just a little over half a year, she had grasped all of the basic techniques, and had even become close to perfecting the 64 Trigram technique. She was able to precisely hit every single chakra point easily. Her skill surpassed even those who were of Jonin status. The elder had never seen so much talent in a girl who didn't have a single drop of Hyuga blood. In just a few more months, she would surely surpass him… The only reason he was still able to beat her was because he had experience in war.

The elder became troubled at his thoughts. Suiren was almost 4 years old. He had to place the brand on her as soon as possible…

-Suiren, 4 years old

Every day was torture for her. It was the same routine of waking up, training brutally, and sleep. Then the never-ending cycle repeated. Suiren thought it would become easier after time passed, but she only felt more miserable as each day passed. She had finally stopped hoping for her father to come back for her. She had no one to rely on.

Suiren turned as her door slid open. The elder glared at her.

"Follow me," He ordered and walked out.

Suiren obediently quickly ran behind him, confused. She was never called out like this. The two walked into the main house's biggest room.

"Father, who is this?" Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi asked as they saw the pale Suiren trudge inside.

"Just a soldier I trained for the sake of our clan," The Hyuga elder replied. "Hiashi, place the curse on her right now."

"Father?" Hiashi asked surprised. The girl was obviously not a Hyuga.

Suiren froze. The Hyuga curse? She was no fool. She had eavesdropped for information every free moment she had when she was not training. Suiren's face became full of dread, and she impulsively stepped back, only to be pushed forward by her trainer.

Suiren fell to her knees in front of Hiashi. Her whole body trembled in fear. She had a chance of escaping if she was only against one of them, but the three strongest members were in the same room. And even if she were to escape, she had no place to run to.

"Hiashi," The elder took on a domineering tone. "Place the curse, now. Hizashi, hold her down."

Hiashi bowed his head in defeat and looked at the crying Suiren apologetically. He raised his arm to place his hand on her forehead as Hizashi held Suiren's arms.

"No," Suiren whispered. "Stop it… Please…" She stared as his hand grew closer and closer. _Once that curse is placed on me, my fate will forever be sealed_ , she thought in anguish.

Suiren's breathing grew more rapid as she started panicking. Any second and his hand would be on her forehead, and she didn't want that. She couldn't accept being trapped in a room in isolation for the rest of her life. It was painful every day. She had to get out of this prison. Suiren felt a throbbing in her head, and she closed her eyes. Her head felt as if it were splitting.

"Stop it," She said. Her words were quiet, but they held a slight power.

Hiashi faltered for a second but composed himself and placed his hand on her head. But just as he was about to form the seal he was interrupted.

"STOP!" Suiren yelled as her eyes burst open, staring directly into Hiashi's pupils. Hiashi reeled back in pain and Hizashi released his grip to go to his brother's side. He leaned over his brother who now held a blank expression, and gasped. Genjutsu?

"Kai!" He yelled, and Hiashi returned to reality.

"I'm fine… It was just so real," He caught his breath and turned to face Suiren who was panting heavily while staring back.

"You… An Uchiha child?"

Suiren gazed at Hiashi in shock. She felt her eyes were different. They hadn't become strained like those of the Hyuga's, and she couldn't see the men's chakra points anymore. But she realized that none of their movements escaped her notice.

"Hiashi! What happened?" The Hyuga head yelled as he came in front of Suiren. He gasped. Her eyes were blood-red with 3 tomoe spinning in each eye. This was unmistakably…

"Sharingan?" He murmured in disbelief. "So you were an Uchiha after all…" _Even so, to have all 3 tomoe at the first awakening… This girl… is dangerous._

"Child, show me your Byakugan," The elder ordered.

Suiren glared at him, then slowly formed her hand into the seal.

"Byakugan!" She cried, but her eyes didn't change. Suiren tried again.

"Byakugan!…"

"Byakugan! Byakugan!"

"Enough," The elder sighed,a troubled expression forming on his face. "This situation has gotten out of hand. It is not up to us to deal with the issue. Go back to your room. Training is cancelled."

Suiren blanched. "What's going to happen to me?"

"… I'm sending you back to you father."

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry if this is going a bit too fast, but right now we are in the part where I just introduce Suiren's past and I wanted to get it out of the way as fast as possible, so sorry for the rushed writing and lack of emotion. I'll try to make it better for the future chapters. Anyways, there will be one new chapter a week now. See you guys!


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

-Shisui, 10 years old

"Father, what are you doing?" The young boy asked Uchiha Kagami, who was kneeling on a specific tatami mat in the living room.

"Nothing, son," Kagami looked at Shisui warmly. "Shouldn't you be training?"

"I finished early today."

"I see… Well, go rest then," With that said, Kagami walked out of the room quickly.

Shisui narrowed his eyes as his father disappeared into the hall, and stared at the spot in the floor. He had noticed that his father always went into the room at a certain time 3 times a day. He also observed that he would be holding a plate full of food, but would come out with an empty plate in a matter of a few seconds. What could be in the room?

He had tried eavesdropping when his father went inside, but it was always silent except for some shuffling. Shisui's interest had been piqued though. He had finally realized that one tatami mat was lined unevenly with the rest. Tonight, it was finally time to find out what his father was hiding.

* * *

-Suiren, 5 years old

Suiren lay with her back leaning against the wall. She could only pass the time by staring at the walls surrounding her. How much time had passed since she had been put in this room? There was no way to tell. She could only roughly guess that several months had passed due to the evident growth of her body. The room was bare except for one candle on each wall, a futon in the farthest corner, and a set of stairs leading to the basement entrance. Of course, the opening was locked. There were no windows.

After being dumped back to her father by the Hyugas, Uchiha Kagami had snuck her into his house. However, instead of giving her a room in the house, he had hidden her in a secret basement in the living room. She was forbidden from leaving ever, and the only time the entrance was opened was to deliver food. Even then, her father only slid open a flap in the door to slide the food through, so Suiren had not even seen her father's face after that day.

Well, it wasn't like she was expecting anything from him, so she didn't feel anything when he treated her the same as the day he had abandoned her. The living conditions were no different than when she was living at the Hyuga household. She only preferred living in this place because at least her father didn't bother her to train. She was all alone in her room. She didn't know what it meant to be lonely anymore, so it didn't bother her. Living in constant isolation had caused her to become indifferent to the world. She didn't need nor want anyone, because she had learned that depending on someone was just a waste of time.

She decided that she would just stay in this small world in her room forever. She had nowhere to go anyways. Whether this was a false peace or not, she had come to accept it.

Based on the look of her meal laying at the stairs, it was currently night time. Suiren grabbed the plate and quickly ate its contents. The food had started tasting like nothing ever since a couple of months ago, so she had started to indifferently take in the food, leaving the plate spotless on the stairs. After finishing, she returned to a different wall in the basement, and sat there for a couple more hours, thinking about nothing. When she felt that enough time had passed, she stood up and walked towards her futon.

Just then she heard the sound of wood being pushed against wood. She turned, and saw that the basement door had been flung open, the light from outside flowing down the stairs. Suiren froze as a foot, then another, and then finally a boy's face peeked through.

"Hehhh, didn't know our house had a secret basement," Shisui breathed in excitement as he walked down the stairs. "I wonder what Father has been doing in here?"

Just then he caught sight of the young girl who staring at him with an emotionless face. Shisui stared back. There was a girl he had never met living… under his house?

"Uh… Hi?" He tried waving, but the girl didn't move. _Maybe she's a bit shy?_

"I'm Shisui. What's your name?" Shisui tried walking closer, which was when Suiren reacted, but she backed away from him.

Shishui paused in his steps. Though the girl was keeping a straight face, he noticed that her eyes were wary. "I won't hurt you," He said gently as he tried to inch closer towards the girl.

Suiren noticed his intentions, and immediately reacted by using her Gentle Fist taijutsu. Her arm lunged forward with a frightening speed.

"Woah!" Shisui narrowly dodged and used his Body Flicker Technique to disappear from her sight. He stared incredulously at the confused girl who was still in the Gentle Fist stance. _This girl knows the Gentle Fist technique, but doesn't contain the Byakugan_ , he thought. _Interesting._

Shisui caught Suiren in a genjutsu to see how she would react. The girl blinked in surprise as she was suddenly in a field of flowers. The sky was so blue, and the breeze felt so real; Shisui was proud of his genjutsu skills. But he did not expect what happened next.

Suiren glared at the field.

"This is not my reality," Her voice said quietly, but Shisui heard her clearly. The next moment, he gasped in shock as Suiren's eyes blinked red with the spinning tomoe. Then both were back in the dark basement room.

Shisui raised his hands before Suiren dove at him again.

"Hold on a minute! I'm really not here to hurt you!" He yelled.

Suiren paused. She stood up straight with her arms relaxed at her sides, but Shisui knew she was still on edge.

"What's your name? And how long have you been down here? How old are you?"

"… What month is it?"

"…? May." She didn't even know what month it was…?

"I turned five one month ago," Suiren answered in awe. To think that over a year had passed… "I've been here since I was four."

"That long?" Shisui gripped his hands into fists the moment he heard her words. Who had put her down here?

"… I see… Anyways, what was your name?" He tried to change the subject.

"Suiren."

"What about your last name?"

"… Last name?"

"You know, your parent's last name is your last name!"

"Mama died when I was young. I don't have a father. He told me to never call him Papa because he doesn't consider me as his daughter."

"…"

"…"

"Uh, well, what's that person's name?"

"… Uchiha Kagami."

Shisui stared in shock at the girl named Suiren. Now that he had taken a study of her face, he realized that she was indeed an Uchiha. And although they didn't look that similar, there was no mistaking her pointed eyes that looked exactly like his and his father's. The intelligence hidden behind her scrutinizing irises. This girl was his half-sister. Shisui felt disgust rise in his chest. _So this was what father was hiding…_

Shisui tried his best to keep his smile. "So we have the same father. Then your name is Uchiha Suiren! And you're my little sister!"

Suiren pondered over his words for a bit. "… Hn." She had no reaction whatsoever. _Rather, she barely has any emotions at all_ , Shisui noted. His curiosity had been piqued by this girl. Just what kind of life could she have been living before being trapped in this room?

"Well," Shisui said as he sat down on the mats. "We've got the whole night to ourselves, and I'm excited that I have another sister, so why don't you tell me all about yourself?"

* * *

Shisui listened intently as Suiren slowly revealed her childhood. She had claimed that it was uninteresting, but Shisui was amazed by the fact that she had been raised by the Hyugas and had awakened her Sharingan at the precious age of 4, not to mention losing the Byakugan in the process. That explained her use of the Gentle Fist Taijutsu in the fight a couple of minutes ago.

"Wait," Shisui blurted out after Suiren finished telling her autobiography. "How can you use the Gentle Fist when you don't have the Byakugan anymore?"

Suiren contemplated his question for a bit, then whispered her answer.

"I remember."

"Remember?"

"I remember… where every single chakra point is, as if I can see them even without those eyes."

!

Shisui stared in complete awe. This half-sister of his was, without a doubt, a prodigy. And not only that, she was the top of the top, more talented than he. Even more so than that young Uchiha he had met at the Academy. If she were to hone her skills, just what kind of kunoichi could she become?

"Hey," He asked. "Don't you want to leave this room?"

Suiren looked at him strangely, finally having a hint of emotion in her expression.

"Why would I want to leave this place?"

"Why, you say…? Don't you want to escape from being trapped in here?"

"This place is much better than the last place I lived," Suiren simply replied. "Besides, there's nothing for me outside of this room. I'm not supposed to exist in the world you live in."

Shisui's heart filled with anguish when he heard the young girl's response. From the way she had answered, it was apparent that in her mind she had categorized herself as an existence separate from the people of the outside world.

Shisui impulsively reached out and embraced Suiren tightly in his arms. Suiren immediately stiffened because she wasn't used to any kind of contact, but she stayed still.

Shisui tucked a strand of Suiren's hair behind her ear. "I'll definitely save you," He whispered into her ear.

Suiren was confused. "But I don't need any saving?"

"You do. Don't accept this room as your world. There's so much more to your life than this pitiful excuse of a room," Shisui said firmly as he released his grip and stood up.

"I need to go now, but I'll come again tomorrow night."

Suiren tilted her neck. "You're coming again?"

"Of course."

"Why would you do that?"

Shisui turned to look at Suiren one last time before leaving through the flap.

"… Because you're my precious imouto (little sister), and a big brother has to protect his cute sister, right?" He gave a big smile, and left for the night.

 _I'll protect you in place of Father, Suiren,_ he promised in his heart.

Suiren stared at the wooden opening as Shisui's body disappeared. She stood still for a few minutes after he left, not knowing how to respond to his words.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

-Shisui POV

Shisui had indeed kept his promise. He visited every night, and always brought something new for Suiren. Some days it was ninja equipment like kunai and throwing stars, others it was cute plushies and children's books. He had also brought academic books so that Suiren wouldn't fall behind other children her age. To no surprise, she caught on quickly and finished all the material taught by the Academy. And just like that, a year passed. She was age 6, he was 11.

Shisui had also started training Suiren on jutsu and weapon manipulation techniques. She was already a master of taijutsu due to the Hyuga training, so he focused on ninjutsu and genjutsu. Of course, the traditional Uchiha fire techniques were taught, and she was able to grasp the Sharingan's worth to its full potential under his guide. At this point, Shisui could say with confidence that she was at least Jonin level.

All was going well except for one thing. Suiren still had yet to show even a ghost of a smile. Although Shisui noticed that she followed his orders obediently, he also realized that she still had an empty mindset. The purpose of introducing all the items and training to her was to make her curious about the world, but not once had she even mentioned leaving the basement in the past year, which made him slightly worried. He couldn't forcefully bring her out, especially because nobody except a select few even knew she existed. He sighed. That problem would have to be solved someday.

Somewhere inside, Suiren's heart was still guarded, not daring to let anyone in. Shisui wondered if Suiren thought of him as someone to rely on.

Little did he know though, that Suiren had already allowed him into her heart…

* * *

-Suiren POV

A year had passed. Suiren watched as Shisui packed his gear to leave for his mission. From his physical characteristics to his mannerisms, Suiren had memorized them all.

Suiren had never expected Shisui to visit her continuously for the past year. She had been wary about him for a long time, but he never forced her to do anything she disliked. He had always given her a choice, something she had never had before meeting him.

It had taken a while, but Suiren finally allowed herself to let Shisui into her heart. They had spent every night together in her little basement room, and Suiren felt that her bond with her brother was genuine. It was her first true bond, and she felt at ease with him. To put it shortly, she trusted him, and only him. She felt warm whenever they were together. Is this what it felt like to have someone care for her? She still wasn't interested in the things happening outside the basement, but she was interested in the things that Shisui did…

"… Shisui."

"I told you to call me Shisui Onii-chan countless times."

Suiren ignored him. "What are you doing… out there?"

Shisui perked up when he heard her words. _Ohh, is she finally showing some interest?_

"I'm meeting up with another student of mine after my mission."

"Student?"

"Yep. His name's Uchiha Itachi. He's 2 years older than you. He just graduated from the Academy after a single year!"

"Is that good?"

"To graduate in one year is unheard of. He's a genius, just like you!" _Although, you're definitely more talented than anyone I know…_

"… Hn." As usual, Suiren didn't give much of a response.

"Why? You interested in going ou-"

"No," Suiren immediately answered. "Come back safe."

Shisui sighed at the interruption and shook his head.

"I'll be back later tonight, alright? Be good."

"Mm."

Shisui left, and once again Suiren was alone in the room. She trained for a couple hours, then sat at her signature place at the center of the wall.

Now that Shisui wasn't there, the room seemed empty. And quiet. Suiren found it difficult to zone out now. Ahh, she recognized what she was feeling. She hadn't felt this emotion in a long, long time.

Loneliness.

The silence of the room was uncomfortable now. She wondered what Shisui did while on a mission. She wished she could join him. But she was still scared of leaving her haven. And yet, she was so curious…

She didn't want to go out. But she wanted so desperately to see what was going on out there. If only she could see somehow…

Suddenly, Suiren's eyes spun. They turned into the familiar red, and Suiren gasped as suddenly she saw Shisui in a field. Suiren blinked. As she watched, she noticed Shisui laughing with another boy. Shisui showed a magic trick where he suddenly went from holding one kunai to many more from just a flip of his hand. The other boy, unamused, went to the middle of the training ground and concentrated. After staying still for a couple seconds, he suddenly leapt into the air and threw kunai in all directions. All of them hit the targets, even the one hiding behind a huge boulder.

Suiren watched in awe as the raven-haired boy landed gracefully on his feet. He suddenly gave a triumphant smile, to Suiren's surprise. His usually stoic face looked so cute at that moment, that Suiren unconsciously smiled as well. She paused in shock, at the unfamiliar muscles moving in her face. Suiren reached up to feel her face. Indeed, she was smiling.

Suiren's thoughts were interrupted when Shisui spoke out.

"Itachi, time to go home for the day! It's getting late!"

Indeed it was. The sun was starting to set, and the sky was tinted an orange-red. Suiren stared at the vision of the sky. How long had it been since she had last seen the horizon…? It was beautiful and unfamiliar.

"Will you train me tomorrow as well?" Itachi asked Shisui.

"Of course!" Shisui flashed a smile at the younger Uchiha, who also gave another smile, this time a more playful one, although it quickly disappeared back into a straight face. Suiren forgot about Shisui and kept her eyes on Itachi, who gathered his kunai and started the walk back to his home. She continued focusing her attention on him and watched as he observed the other civilians in the village, until finally he returned to his house. She blinked again, and she found herself back in the familiar basement room.

Suiren felt her eyes turn back to normal and stared at the walls in her room. Today had been a very eventful day. Had her intense desire to see her brother in the outside world awakened a new ocular jutsu? Could she use it again the next day? Suiren hoped so.

"Uchiha… Itachi…" She whispered as her head became filled with images of the mysterious boy until she heard the familiar sound of tatami being moved and footsteps.

"I'm back Suiren!" Shisui said as he descended down the steps. "What were you up to today?"

Much to his shock, Suiren was smiling as she answered.

"I developed a new jutsu."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Ever since developing the ability to view the world from her room, Suiren had fallen into a new routine. She continued training and learning new things with Shisui during the night like usual. But now, her mornings and afternoons were spent watching Itachi go about his daily adventures. Suiren was captivated by the way Itachi viewed the world. She clapped in delight seeing the interesting methods he used to outsmart his enemies. She giggled on the mission when he had worn kitty ears to understand the cats. She watched wistfully as he cared for his little brother.

 _I wonder what mission Itachi will be going on today? Will he be training with Shisui? Or maybe that white-haired man?_ With thoughts like these to look forward to, 4 years passed in a flash.

Today was Suiren's 10th birthday, and Shisui had surprisingly visited in the morning.

"Shisui?" Suiren looked up in surprise at her 15-year-old brother coming down the stairs.

"Ugh, I'll forgive you for not calling me onii-chan today. Happy Birthday, my dear little sister!" Shisui yelled as he gathered Suiren in his arms and spun her around.

Suiren laughed out loud as her feet dangled in the air. "You remembered!" She cried as she snuggled into Shisui's arms.

"Of course I did!" Shisui chuckled as he set down his sister. "Woah, your hair is a mess. Let me comb it for you."

Suiren happily faced away from him and sat cross-legged as Shisui began to run the comb through her hair.

"Your hair has become a decent length now, huh?" Shisui reminisced as he noticed that her strands reached her waist. "They barely reached your shoulders when I first saw you. And… huh? What is this?" Shisui separated Suiren's black hair to reveal strands of red. There were only a few colored strands in streaks, and they would never be found if left alone.

He stared in shock. "Red hair?"

Suiren glanced at him sideways. "Ah, Mama had bright red hair."

"Your mother? I see… It's hard to believe, but she must have been an Uzumaki." Shisui raised his eyebrows at the discovery. Well, it did explain why Suiren had phenomenal levels of chakra. He remembered the day he found out and rejoiced over it, because Uchihas suffered from lack of chakra due to the Sharingan requiring so much.

"Anyways, it is your birthday. Is there anything my dear sister would like for her present?" Shisui asked as he finished brushing her hair.

Suiren thought hard, but every year it was difficult to think of anything. She was perfectly happy just being with her brother and watching Itachi. Suiren ran her fingers through her long hair, and suddenly remembered. Itachi had also grown out his hair and…

"Hair tie," She blurted out.

"Hm? Did I hear that correctly?"

"I want a hair tie," She repeated firmly.

"Oh, you mean like a cute scrunchie with charms hanging from it?"

"A simple one."

"… Are you sure you want that?" Shisui asked in confusion. Why did she want such a superficial item? Unless… Suddenly, an image of a boy who had recently changed his hairstyle flashed into his mind.

"… Are you trying to copy Itachi?"

Her immediate blush gave her away. Shisui fought to keep himself from bursting out laughing. He knew that Suiren had been infatuated with Itachi after unlocking her new jutsu, but he had never expected her to be so attached to him. If he wasn't careful, Itachi would soon replace his spot as Suiren's most loved one. _This cute sister of mine and her little crush on Itachi…_

Shisui cleared his throat. "Alright, don't you worry. This strong brother of yours will get you a hair tie without fail."

Shisui stood and slung his bag over his shoulder. "It's time for me to go on my mission, so I'll be back again tonight. Ah, but promise me you won't watch Itachi today!"

Suiren pouted when she heard Shisui say those words. Shisui chuckled and gave his sister a warm gaze.

"It's for the sake of your birthday present alright?" He mischievously said while winking.

"… Fine."

* * *

Suiren impatiently paced back and forth across the room. It was almost time for Shisui to be back by now. She couldn't wait any minute longer.

 _Clack!_

A ray of artificial light fell into her room and Suiren ran to meet Shisui.

"Woah! Calm down! Let me walk down all the stairs at least!" Shisui yelped as his balance was disrupted by Suiren's unexpected hug.

Suiren obediently ran back down to the middle of the room and stared at Shisui with big, round, expectant eyes. Amused, Shisui rummaged around his bag until his hand closed around the item.

"Turn around," He ordered, to which Suiren complied. Suiren felt her hair being pulled gently.

"Okay, all done."

Suiren ran to the mirror that Shisui had hung in her room years ago, and a smile grew as she saw the low ponytail that was exactly like Itachi's. Shisui also smiled as she admired her hair in the reflection.

"Do you like it?"

Suiren gave a brief nod.

"I stole that hair tie from Itachi."

! "I love it!"

Shisui gave a hearty laugh at her huge reaction. Afterwards, the two celebrated with cake and games until Suiren fell asleep from exhaustion. Shisui quickly tucked her into her futon, and stayed by her side for a couple minutes, watching her body's slight movements as she breathed in and out peacefully.

The tension between Konoha and the Uchiha clan was growing each year. Shisui wondered how much longer the peace could last. And there was the issue of Suiren being stuck in the basement of his house… He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. How much time did he have left to spend with his family?

Shisui turned to gaze at Suiren's sleeping figure again, and stroked her long hair. He then leaned forward and kissed her forehead, a last gift before her birthday ended at midnight.

"May you receive more happiness, Suiren," He whispered as he proceeded to leave. Shisui walked outside his house into the frosty night and breathed in deeply. It was time to go investigating.

* * *

A/N: I forgot to say thank you last week for the reviews! Thank you so much I really appreciate them! 3333


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

-Months later

"Suiren, I have a serious request," Shisui hesitantly said as he was teaching Suiren how to use a new genjutsu. Suiren blinked her eyes at him, her red eyes spinning back to black in curiosity.

"Could you stop watching Itachi and me for a bit?" He asked carefully while watching her reaction.

Suiren stared in disbelief and wondered if she had heard correctly. Her mouth opened and then closed. It was clear that she was in shock, and the expression on her face immediately made guilt form in Shisui's heart.

"… Why?"

"Uhh, it's because the both of us have a top secret mission this time, and this time no one can know about it," Shisui lied.

Suiren squinted her eyes at her brother. Shisui immediately knew that she had figured out part of his lie. But then she sighed.

"Okay, I will listen to your command," She quietly replied. It was the least she could do for her brother who had given so much to her. He had given her an escape from the small world she lived in, and this was the first time he had really ordered something. Besides, it was normal that she listen to her master. She had almost forgotten that it was her role. She shouldn't even have questioned him.

Shisui almost changed his mind when he realized what Suiren was thinking. Her eyes had become downcast, like they once had always been in the past. Though she had opened up greatly in the past few years, there was always still a part of her that was reserved, as if she couldn't rid herself of the lifestyle she had lived when she was a small child. But it was for her sake…

Shisui walked to Suiren and gently tugged her near to hug her. Suiren paused, then slowly brought her arms up to return the hug. She was still not used to skinship.

"Thank you, Suiren… and sorry," Shisui whispered as he ruffled her hair. Suiren shook her head and gazed into his eyes. She noticed the sadness hidden in his eyes. It frightened her.

"… Did something happen?... Are you… going someplace far away?" She murmured.

"Nothing happened," Shisui reassured her.

Another lie.

He released Suiren from his arms and turned to walk up the stairs. Just before leaving, he turned around and gave Suiren a warm smile.

"I'll come during the day to make it up to you, okay?"

"… Come back soon." Suiren gave a forced smile as she watched her brother exit.

* * *

-Shisui POV

Shisui spied on his clansmen as they talked about having a coup d'état against Konoha. He watched as the unrest in the atmosphere grew stronger. He felt disgusted seeing his men hold hidden agendas in their minds as they talked about protecting the civilians. He watched in despair as his best friend was dragged into the middle of the mess.

Shisui used his Body Flicker Technique to spy on Itachi while he was in an Anbu meeting. He leaned against the wall, invisible, as Danzo gave Itachi his ultimatum:

"Either riot with your clan and die along with them, or wipe them out to save your little brother," Danzo threatened.

Itachi's expression stayed stoic as he kneeled on the ground.

Danzo gave a slight smirk as he nodded.

"I'll give you some time to think about it. Dismissed."

Shisui closed his eyes and teleported away to the forest he and Itachi always hung out at. As he waited for Itachi to come to their meeting spot, he rested on a tree branch and gazed out towards the horizon. Sighing deeply, he sat as his mind was filled with conflicting thoughts. What could he do for the village? For his family and friends? For his trapped sister?

A few minutes later, Itachi came into view. Shisui jumped down from his tree.

"Yo, Itachi," He waved at Itachi who gave a small nod back. "How'd your meeting go?"

Itachi didn't reply, and Shisui gave an understanding nod. Well, he already knew what had happened.

"Let's go someplace else. I want to talk to you," Shisui said he as jumped from tree to tree. Itachi immediately followed, and soon the two boys were sitting on the grass near the Uchiha lake.

"What did you want to talk about?" Itachi broke the silence.

"Hey, Itachi, do you have anyone you like?" Shisui abruptly asked. Itachi glanced at him in confusion. It was an unexpected question.

"I don't have time for love."

"So that's a no for now. Well, that's good," Shisui gave a small chuckle, his mouth curving msyteriously. Itachi raised his eyebrow, but Shisui evaded his questioning look and switched the topic. He leaned into the grass, staring at the peaceful blue sky.

"Itachi, you know what's going on with our clan and the village, right?" He said in a serious tone.

Itachi paused, then nodded with a dark look in his eyes.

The two stayed in silence once again for what seemed like a long time, until this time Shisui spoke first.

"I've got a plan…"

A/N: Hello! I've decided to release 2 chapters this week because I noticed that chapter 5 was a bit slow. Chapter 6 will be up just a few minutes after! And I also noticed that I suddenly got a few more followers this week, so thank you so much!


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

-More months later, Suiren 11 years old, Shisui 16, Itachi 13

Shisui panted as he escaped from his pursuers. He could feel his movements slowing down due to the Aburame clan's poison that had been injected into him. He gently touched his hand to his right eye and saw the splash of red stain his tanned hand. Danzo had caught him off guard and stolen his Sharingan. He had to hurry and meet with Itachi. But before that…

Shisui swiftly sneaked into his home to avoid waking up his family and ran to the living room with its loose tatami mat. He quickly removed the bamboo and opened the entrance to the basement. Suiren turned as she heard the opening slide.

"Shisui?" She smiled, then stared in horror as she saw the blood running down her brother's closed eye.

"Shisui, what happened?!" She cried out as Shisui tried to laugh it off.

"Just a little mistake I made from a mission," He lied as Suiren immediately raised her hand to his eye. Her hand glowed green as she tried to stop the blood flow. Suiren was relieved that she had studied medical ninjutsu during her free time. She had initially learned it for Shisui just in case he had ever gotten injured from a mission. But he had always come back scratch-free, so she thought she had learned it for nothing until tonight.

Shisui leaned into her soothing hand for a few seconds longer before stopping her.

"I need you to listen to me. We don't have much time," He urgently said as Suiren stubbornly tried to place her hand on him again. Suiren noticed the tone of Shisui's voice and studied Shisui's lone eye. She immediately recognized his look. It was…

Suiren froze. "Shisui…?" She said in a tiny voice.

"Do you trust me?" He asked while making direct eye contact with Suiren. She immediately nodded, causing a tug in Shisui's heart. He composed himself and gripped Suiren's shoulders.

"Suiren, I've taught you everything I know. You're a very talented kunoichi, and I'm very proud of you. I know if it's you, you'll be able to survive in this cruel world. No matter what happens in the future, I will always be your brother, and you will always be my beloved little sister. Don't forget that, okay?"

Suiren's eyes widened when she heard Shisui's words. She felt a rush of emotion she hadn't felt since the day Kagami had abandoned her. Something was running down her face. Tears?

Shisui winced when he saw the tears form on Suiren's face. In the past 7 years, he had never seen her shed a single tear, not until now.

"Is something happening outside?" Suiren asked as she stared back at Shisui. "Is it something really bad?"

"It's nothing you have to worry about," Shisui comforted her. "It'll be over when you wake up next time. But before you go to sleep for the night, I'm going to tell you something very important, alright? You have to promise to listen to me."

"… Okay…"

Shisui's eyes gave a slight crinkle as he heard her answer. "I have two requests. Just in case my mission doesn't end on time, I want you to go find Itachi. He'll take care of you in my place. That's right - I want you to go live outside. Go explore the world and find Itachi. And I want you to take care of him as well in my place. Can you do those two things?"

Suiren looked down, then nodded. The tears were dripping from her face at that point, forming a puddle on the floor. Shisui sighed in relief. He let go of his grip on Suiren's shoulders and embraced her strongly. It was going to be his last hug, forever…

"Don't go," Suiren said, begging as if she knew what he was going to do.

"I love you, my beautiful little sister," He whispered into her ear, and gently pulled her face up to meet her eyes. "May you find happiness." His lone eye then formed the Mangekyo in less than a second, and he trapped Suiren in a genjutsu.

Suiren's eyes glazed over, and Shisui slowly stepped away. He had given her a dream that he was tucking her into bed. He turned and quickly walked to the stairs, but he only took one step of the stairs when he heard the sound of feet running on wood.

Shisui froze as Suiren wrapped her arms around him. How had she broken out of his Mangekyo? It should have been impossible…! Shisui's panicked thoughts were interrupted by what he heard next.

"Don't leave me alone," She sobbed. "Don't leave me alone, Shisui Onii-chan!" Suiren recognized his look. It was the exact same gaze Uchiha Kagami had given her on the day he had abandoned her.

The moment he heard those words, Shisui couldn't keep his straight face any longer.

Ah. How long had he waited for her to call him that?

Shisui turned and quickly embraced Suiren tightly so that she wouldn't see his crying face.

"I'm sorry, Suiren. I'm sorry…" He whispered as he tried to stop his body from shaking. Suiren responded by grasping his shirt tighter. He could feel her hot tears soaking into his shirt. "Even though I promised I would never leave you… I'm sorry."

Suiren cried harder when she heard the pain in his voice. Shisui was the only person she had given her trust to in her whole life.

"This time… I'll go with you. I'll protect you, Onii-chan," She whispered in between her sobs.

It was Shisui's turn to cry harder. But he quickly stopped himself. It was dangerous for him to stay any longer. They might find him here, and if they were to find out about Suiren… He had never thought that he would be thankful towards his father for keeping Suiren a secret.

"No, you stay here where it's safe," Shisui firmly replied. He silently raised his hand behind Suiren's back and swiftly struck her neck. Suiren gasped as she felt the impact and fumbled to keep her balance. She gripped Shisui's arm in an attempt to keep herself standing, but it was no use.

"Shisui… Onii-chan…" She weakly called out as her vision turned black. Shisui caught his sister before she collapsed onto the floor and stared at her unconscious expression.

"You'll be just fine without me," He shakily murmured. He quickly formed seals and summoned a coffin covered with multiple sealing charms. Shisui carried Suiren to the casket and gently laid her inside. He removed the hair tie in her hair and put the band on her wrist. He also removed his forehead protector and laid it by Suiren's sleeping side. He then kissed her forehead one last time.

"Sweet dreams. May the world be more peaceful the next time you wake up," He breathed as he closed the casket and sealed it with his chakra.

He took one last look at the basement filled with the two's memories, then quickly climbed the stairs. He meticulously placed the tatami so that it wouldn't look out of place, then left the vicinity. It was finally time to meet Itachi…

* * *

He was looking over the cliff and down into the rapid current of the river when Itachi appeared.

"Shisui?" Itachi questioned worriedly as he saw the blood on his right eye.

Shisui ignored Itachi's sentence. "It's too late to stop the coup d'etat by the Uchiha Clan," He replied. "If civil war breaks out in the village, other nations are sure to attack… I was trying to stop it with the Kotoamatsukami, but Danzo stole my eye. I suspect he'll come after my left eye as well… So I want to give it to you before he has a chance."

Shisui quickly removed his last eye and held it out to Itachi, who stared for a few seconds before accepting it.

"Shisui…" He tried to start, but Shisui interrupted him.

"You're the only person I can count on, my best friend. Please protect this village, and the honor of the Uchiha name."

Itachi nodded. "What will you do now?"

Shisui gave a small sigh, and started to step backwards, near the edge of the cliff.

"If I die, several circumstances will change. I've left behind a note already…"

Fear filled Itachi's eyes as he realized what his best friend was about to do. "Wait, Shisui!" Itachi shouted.

"Don't stop me, Itachi," Shisui ordered as he stopped at the edge.

"Ah, I almost forgot. I have a small request."

"…"

Shisui gave one last smile to Itachi.

"Take care… of her."

"Her?" Itachi asked, but by then Shisui had taken his last step.

"Shisui!" Itachi yelled as Shisui disappeared from his view.

Shisui felt the air rushing past him before he plummeted into the cold, strong current. As he fell, suddenly all the precious memories he had shared with Itachi and Suiren filled his mind. His eyes crinkled one last time.

 _I wish I could have been with you two longer_ , he wistfully thought as he felt a sharp impact on his body, then darkness.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Suiren lowered her head to her knees as she sat on the floor of the black area. Black was all that she could see. She had tried walking through to see if there was an exit, but after walking for what seemed like an endless amount of time, she had given up and just stayed in that one spot.

She didn't know where she was, but strangely, the dark was comforting. She was used to it. But she also wondered what had happened to Shisui. She wanted to see Itachi as well. She wondered if the two were safe.

She wanted to see Shisui because he was her precious brother, but what about Itachi? Just thinking about him made her heart feel warm. Suiren felt the heat rise to her cheeks. Was she sick? She didn't know what this feeling was. Shisui had never taught her.

As she was thinking of the two boys, suddenly Suiren remembered the night Shisui had come back to her, eye bloody and hurt. His two wishes that she needed to fulfil. That's right. What happened after that night? She couldn't remember.

"… I want to leave," Suiren stood back up and ran in some direction. She ran on and on until she was out of breath, but she didn't stop.

"I want to get out of here!" She yelled. Suddenly, a white light enveloped the whole area, so bright that Suiren had to close her eyes.

* * *

"Welcome back, child," A voice sounded.

Suiren opened her eyes. She was now in room of pure white. Standing next to her was a being covered in white and gold.

"Who are you? Where am I?"

"That is something you will remember soon," The being answered, gently smiling. "I just came to tell you before you returned that almost everything has been prepared. I will fulfil my promise to you shortly after you wake."

"Promise?"

The god laughed.

"Yes, and a huge promise at that."

"What promise?"

"You will see soon enough. I need not tell you. I just wanted to see you one last time before you go out into the world. You are still pure-hearted even though you grew up in those conditions."

"I don't think I grew up in bad conditions. I had Shisui," Suiren smiled as she relived her memories spent with her brother.

The god's smile widened. "I see. I'm glad."

"By the way," Suiren started. "There's… this boy I know named Uchiha Itachi… And my heart keeps feeling weird whenever I think of him. Do you know what's wrong with me?"

The moment he heard her words, the being was stunned. His expression quickly turned to one of laughter. _To think that she would fall in love with him even without her old memories… What an interesting destiny._

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," The god took Suiren's hand. "That, you will find out soon as well. Anyways, it's time for you to go."

The being's body began to glow brightly once more, and Suiren faced away from him and closed her eyes.

"Remember, I am always by your side," She heard as she was enveloped by light once again.

* * *

-Uchiha Compound

Three shinobi had just arrived at the entrance of the Uchiha property. The team consisted of the Hokage's right hand woman, Shizune, a member from the Anbu known as Sho, and a sensory type ninja from the Yamanaka Clan.

"Shizune-san, why are we in an abandoned estate?" The Anbu man asked.

"There are always secrets hidden in the village, so our mission is to find anything that could serve as useful information," Shizune replied. "Make sure to search every house and shop!"

The other two men nodded, and the team started investigating any place possible in the abandoned land. It was obvious that no one lived here, because the Uchiha compound had been left alone ever since the day of the massacre. The walls and ground were filled with stains of blood and the buildings all had signs of destruction, whether it be broken windows or cracked doors. The atmosphere was eerily silent, as if still mourning the loss of its people.

After searching through the whole area, the team met in the plaza in the middle of the clan's land. Shizune nodded in approval as she studied the ancient books and scrolls the two ninjas had found.

"Alright, this should be enough. Let's go," She ordered, and the group prepared to leave. However, just as Shizune was about to take her first leap, the man from the Yamanaka Clan stopped in his steps.

"Yamanaka? What is it?" Shizune asked.

Yamanaka-san formed his hands into his signature seal and concentrated. After a minute he opened his eyes.

"I sense… an unknown chakra somewhere in this town…"

Shizune's brow lifted.

"An intruder?"

"I'm not sure… It's too weak. Follow me."

With that, the two followed as Yamanaka-san took the lead this time in a certain direction. He finally stopped in front of a particular house.

"It's still faint, but it's definitely coming from inside here," He said.

"This is…?" Shizune asked.

"Uchiha Shisui's home," Sho replied.

Shizune glanced at him in surprise. "Hmph. Let's go in."

The three cautiously walked through the entrance, surveying their surroundings, but all they saw was an empty house, free of any hostilities.

"Here," Yamanaka beckoned them towards the living room. But when they looked inside, there was nothing.

"It's coming from under this room."

Shizune started walking towards the center of the room, but as she did her foot caught on one of the tatami mats. She glanced down and swiftly grabbed the mat, revealing the hidden door. Without hesitation she opened the flap and signaled the other two to follow behind her as she walked down the stairs.

What greeted them was a dark room. Shizune lit the lamp on the wall closest to her, causing the room to be dimly lit. Even then, there wasn't anything special about the room. Being underground, the room barely had dust inside. There were a few books and toys strewn about the floor, and no windows.

"A playroom for when the kids were young…?" The Anbu shinobi suggested, but just then Shizune spied a long box at the far end of the room. She confidently walked towards it.

"Yamanaka."

"Yes, the chakra is coming directly from inside that."

The coffin was simply adorned with the Uchiha crest but covered in multiple sealing patterns. Something like this would usually be difficult to open without the caster. However…

"The seal has become weak after having so much time pass. I suspect that's why the chakra is leaking," Yamanaka confirmed Shizune's suspicions.

"Leave it to me," The Anbu soldier said. He placed his hand on the lid of the coffin and shouted, "Kai!"

Immediately, the black markings on the sealed casket disappeared. Shizune nodded for him to open it. Sho nodded back, and initially started to slowly raise the lid. However, when he glimpsed at what was laying inside, he gasped and threw the lid back.

"This is-!" He exclaimed.

"What is it?" Shizune went up and looked into the space. She gasped.

"A… child?"

Sho immediately lifted the girl's body from the casket and kneeled onto the ground, positioning her in his arms. Shizune knelt down as well, bringing her hand to the girl's heart and forehead to check her vitals.

"She's alive…" She breathed in confusion. "But her heartbeat is somewhat slow, and her temperature is slightly below average. How long has she been in a coma? I don't know if she will ever wake- "

"Wait," Yamanaka concentrated. "No, her chakra is becoming stronger. It's suddenly becoming more intense! I… I think she's waking up!"

* * *

A/N: Hello, sorry for being a day late! I've been struggling with a bunch of midterms and other things, so uploading the chapter skipped my mind :( Hope you enjoy!


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Suiren felt the weight on her body becoming lighter. The darkness was lifting. Slowly, she became more and more conscious of her surroundings. Although her eyes were still closed, she became aware that she wasn't laying in her futon; rather, the sensation was one of being carried in someone's arms. _Wait, someone's arms? Who…?_

Suiren's eyelashes fluttered as she finally slowly opened her eyelids. She heard faint gasps and the sound of breathing as she blinked her eyes, trying to clear away the blurriness. She then remembered that she was in someone's arms, but the feeling was unfamiliar, unlike-

"Shisu-" Suiren started to smile in relief, but then she looked up and saw a mask that was nothing like the face she expected to see.

"Are you okay?" The man in the mask started to ask, but Suiren's eyes became alert and she immediately scrambled away from his grasp. One second, she was in his embrace; the next, at the other side of the room. But it took her longer than she had expected to reach the wall because she had stumbled along the way.

Suiren looked down at her hands which seemed a lot bigger than the last time she had seen them.

"Umm, are you alright, little girl?" Yamanaka asked.

"What's your name?" Shizune gently prodded for an answer, but all they received was a stare and a question in return.

"Shisui Onii-chan…" Suiren whispered.

"Pardon?"

Suiren glared at the team with wary eyes. "Where… is Uchiha Shisui?"

The team looked at each at shock.

"Shisui's dea-" Sho started to reply but he was quickly shut up by a hand to his mouth by Shizune. However, Suiren had already heard enough.

"Shisui Onii-chan is… dead…?" She cried out, her eyes widening in shock. Suiren wrapped her hands around her torso as she froze on the spot. The poor girl looked like she was trying to protect herself in the adults' eyes.

Shizune glared at the Anbu soldier who held his hands up in defeat. "I don't remember Shisui having a sibling that young, though…" He whispered secretly into Shizune's ear, who frowned upon hearing it.

"How… how long has he been dead?" Suiren shakily asked.

Shizune decided to tell the truth. "He's been dead for three years, now."

Three years?!

Suiren opened her mouth, then closed it. She looked down to observe her body.

"I'm 14 this year…"

The 3-man team stared at the girl in shock. She was already a teenager? Suiren at this moment looked very young. Her hair had grown to the point that it reached the back of her knees due to lack of haircuts. Her skin was smooth and pale from being kept in the dark for so long. Her clothes were much too small for her, initially long shirt and pants exposing her stomach and calves. The only accessory she had was a simple hair tie on her wrist. Her height was just a mere 155 centimeters, the lack of growth due to being stuck in a comatose state for so long.

The main issue was that there was a survivor of the Uchiha Clan which everyone thought had been annihilated in the massacre, save for Uchiha Sasuke. Not to mention, she definitely wasn't in the records of the village. So the question was, who was this girl? Was she even an Uchiha?

"We should take her in for questioning, Shizune-sama," Yamanaka and Sho said, and Shizune nodded. Suiren narrowed her eyes as she stared at the two men starting towards her.

"Do not come near me," She said, her initially trembling voice now overridden with hostility. The two shinobi froze as they saw her black eyes shine into crimson orbs. The atmosphere in the room immediately shifted, and the three shinobi felt as if they were choking from her malice. This was indeed a descendant of the mighty Uchiha Clan.

"We're not trying to hurt you," Shizune cautiously lifted her hands. "We just want to help you as a fellow civilian. Will you come with us?"

Suiren immediately started to shake her head, but she stopped herself. Part of Shisui's wish was for her to leave the basement room…

"… Only because Shisui wanted me to," She unwillingly responded, and the three sighed in relief. While they could have restrained her forcefully, the situation just now caused them to doubt themselves. The girl's chakra had turned from being gentle to dangerous in that one moment. It didn't sink well with them that such a young person could give off such a fearsome aura.

"Well, why don't we go outside now?" Shizune suggested. Suiren nodded and followed behind the group warily up the stairs. Even though she had technically lived here for many years, the house was unsurprisingly unfamiliar to her. She hesitated a bit when they got to the entrance. The three paused when they noticed her standing in the doorway.

"What's wrong?" They asked.

Suiren took a deep breath, and exhaled. "Nothing," She replied as she cautiously took her first step into the light.

* * *

As the group walked towards the Hokage's office, Suiren couldn't help but stare at her surroundings. She raised her hand to the sky and saw the sunlight peep through the space between her fingers. The warmth of its rays felt unreal to her. The wind tickled her skin and brought about unfamiliar scents to her nose as she breathed in.

How many years had it been since she last experienced these sensations? And yet… something was off.

She had pictured herself training in the forests with Shisui. She had imagined walking through the streets with Itachi. But both were gone, leaving her to experience everything by herself. At these thoughts, Suiren's eyes filled with sorrow, and she couldn't enjoy the sights as much as she could have. But her thoughts were quickly interrupted.

"We're here. Follow me inside," Shizune ordered. They had reached the Hokage's office.

* * *

A/N: Hello, sorry for being a day late once again! Having midterms every week really takes a toll on your mental and physical health. Don't be a STEM major y'all (': Thank you for the reviews and follows once again! See you next week!


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Suiren followed the woman until they reached a pair of doors in the middle of a corridor. Shizune knocked quietly.

"Is that you, Shizune? Come in," A woman replied.

The doors opened to reveal a blonde lady with a purple diamond on her forehead, working on a mountain of papers at her desk. She glanced up as Shizune and Suiren walked to the front of her desk and raised her eyebrow when she spotted the little girl.

"Oh? Who's this little girl? I've never seen her around."

"Tsunade-sama, this is… err…" Shizune didn't know what to say because she realized that the girl still hadn't told her name.

Suiren glanced at Shizune and read her mind.

"… Uchiha… Suiren."

Tsunade's hand stopped writing and she sat up straight the moment she heard Suiren's last name. This time she gave her full attention to the girl in front of her.

"… Explain this to me, Shizune," She ordered.

"She was found sealed in a coffin to prevent her chakra from escaping, probably an attempt to hide her from that specific day…" Shizune continued explaining as Tsunade listened intently. After listening to Shizune's words, Tsunade sighed.

"To think that there would be another survivor…" She mumbled to herself. The elders would not let this situation pass by lightly if they found out… Not to mention the Danzo bastard.

"Who were your parents? Did you have any siblings?" Tsunade carefully asked.

Suiren was becoming impatient though. She had questions to ask as well.

"I only have one family, and that is my brother Uchiha Shisui," She replied curtly. "I would like to know where his body has been buried. And also, Uchiha Itachi's grave as well. In addition, I want to know what this specific day you two were talking about is."

Suiren stared at Tsunade with such intensity that Tsunade felt that she couldn't lie to her.

"… I'm sorry, but your brother's body couldn't be salvaged; his body disappeared in a river. As for Uchiha Itachi, he is now a wanted shinobi in the bingo book, for massacring the Uchiha Clan three years ago…"

Suiren's eyes widened as Tsunade explained everything that had happened. She was beginning to connect the pieces together. The sad expressions on both Itachi's and Shisui's faces, Shisui's wish for her to not watch Itachi, and his reason for putting her into a coma. It was all starting to make sense. But for gentle Itachi to have been the one to murder the clan… Could he have really done that? _No, Shisui knew about it_ , Suiren realized _. It's because he knew that he did what he did. Otherwise, he wouldn't have told me to look for Itachi…_

Shizune interrupted Suiren's thoughts. "What should we do about this?"

Tsunade rubbed the purple diamond on her forehead. "We'll have to keep her identity secret. Register her as an orphan that was taken in. As for her education… How old are you girl?"

"14."

Tsunade did a double take. "… You don't look it. Going to the Academy would be a bit…"

"I don't need to go. Shisui already taught me everything about the Academy's teachings, and more," Suiren scoffed with a shake of her head.

"Hmm," Tsunade grunted. _Since Shisui trained her himself, even if I haven't seen her abilities it wouldn't be a surprise if she turned out to be a monster…_

Tsunade sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Alright, how about this: we'll have you take a test to receive your diploma for the Academy. If you pass, you'll qualify for the Chuunin exams next year in May. How about it?"

Suiren didn't really care about rankings. All she wanted was to search for Itachi as soon as possible. But she also knew that at this moment, she knew nothing of the world and would face tremendous difficulties if she went searching with no leads.

"Alright, I guess…" Suiren sighed.

Tsunade nodded. "We'll provide you a place to live in. Take the rest of the year to adjust and train. I'll find you a team."

At Tsunade's words, Suiren frowned. "I don't want nor need a team." _Besides, I'll be leaving here soon enough._

Tsunade's eye twitched. She studied the girl. _Hmm, not arrogance but lack of trust, huh? She's indifferent towards everyone but Shisui who's dead, and she's careful to distance herself to not waver._

"Very well. However, I will be assigning you a trainer until the exams, no objections."

"… Fine."

"Good. He will introduce himself to you soon. Shizune, take her to one of the open apartments." And with that, Tsunade waved the two away.

* * *

Suiren surveyed the apartment given to her. It was a simple layout, with the kitchen and living room part of one big space, and a small hallway that led to the bathroom and single room. She immediately trudged to the bedroom and flopped down onto the fluffy bed. She sighed and rolled over to stare at the ceiling.

So much had happened, all in one day. It was too much for her mind to process. She had woken up, only to find out that three years had passed and her loved ones were both gone, one permanently and the other a criminal. But Suiren believed in Itachi and Shisui's words. Her priority was to search for Itachi. Until then, she would have to train to keep her strength up and learn about the society she had been kept from. She would leave after the Chuunin exams.

Suiren felt drowsy due to taking in so much information in a single day.

"Just one year… Wait for me… Itachi-kun…" Suiren murmured as her eyelids fluttered shut.

* * *

-Dream

Suiren walked into a movie theater. All the seats were empty, and the screen was blank. Confused, she sat down in the front row. The moment she did, the screen came to life, sucking her in without warning.

"What?" Suiren cried. She was in a room filled with things she had never seen before. The girl in the room was also watching some sort of screen, crying. Curious, Suiren walked over and bent down to see. The moment she saw what was going on she reeled back. It was a scene of Itachi dying after a fight with another boy.

"What kind of joke is this…" Suiren turned away immediately to be blinded by a pair of bright lights. She felt the wind in her lungs get knocked out as she flew into the air and crumpled onto the ground. She coughed out blood.

"What's happening…" _And why did this all seem familiar?_

Suiren's pain abruptly disappeared as she was teleported yet again to a white room. The unknown girl was also there as well, talking to a glowing being. Suddenly, Suiren replaced the girl's position and found herself facing the being.

The god smiled knowingly. "It's time," He said as he extended his arms to her.

Suiren stared in wonder, then felt a wave of images hit her mind. She froze as the scenes played out in her head. Scenes of her fangirling over the Naruto series. Scenes of her dying from a car crash. Scenes of her demanding to be reborn overpowered to save Itachi.

"I… I r-remember…" She cried out as the dream world collapsed around her.

* * *

Suiren woke up with a burst, breathing heavily. It was barely morning; the sun had just begun to rise. She squeezed her eyes shut to calm herself down. She finally remembered everything. Her purpose for being in this world. The emotions she felt were indescribable. Just then, she sensed another chakra in the room. Alarmed, her eyes burst open to scan the room until it landed on a figure leaning against her window.

"Yo," The shinobi waved.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Suiren stared as the man closed his orange book and stood up straight. Half of his face was covered by a mask, and his silver hair shone in the sunlight.

"You alright? Seems like you had a nightmare," The shinobi spoke.

Suiren was still frozen in place. _No way. No no no no way…_

Starting to get uncomfortable by her stare and lack of response, the man ran his fingers through his hair.

"Uhh… I'm Hatake Kakashi. I'll be your caretaker until you take the Chuunin exams next year."

"Hatake… KAKASHI?!" Suiren squeaked out, causing Kakashi to raise his eyebrows at her.

"… Yes?"

To his surprise, the girl's face formed a huge smile. Weird, he was definitely told that she acted like a robot.

Suiren was fangirling internally. _Holy shit, it's THE Hatake Kakashi. I'm seeing him in real life oh my gosh bless the god of rebirth for returning my memories!_

Kakashi had heard about Suiren's situation from Tsunade, so he thought that she was still in shock from yesterday's events. But something was definitely off. It was as if she knew him already…

"Anyways," He coughed. "I just came to greet you. Take a week to explore the town and get adjusted. We'll be starting training next week. Oh, and remember to never reveal your Sharingan. Well then, see ya." He jumped out the window and disappeared.

Suiren stayed in bed for a few more minutes before fully comprehending what had just happened. She went over her dream from last night. Yes, her memories had finally been returned. She remembered every single bit from her previous life as Sayumi to the day of her death.

"Finally, I remember why I've been reborn," She smiled softly. She raised her hands to stare at her new body, then went to view herself in the mirror. What she saw was a young girl with sharp eyes, her black hair with hidden red streaks flowing all the way to her knees. Suiren stared at her dark eyes. She blinked once. The red Sharingan appeared. She blinked another time. Her red tomoe spun into the unique shape of an eternal Mangekyo. Another blink. Her left eye turned into the purple Rinnegan. Another blink, and they were back to a basic black. She was mesmerized by the sight of her eyes.

She then thought of her life as Suiren before she received her past memories.

"So this is what the god meant by going through hardships," She chuckled. "But who would've thought that I would turn out to be Shisui's little sister. And… that I would fall in love with Itachi-kun on my own?"

If there was one thing Suiren regretted, it was not being able to bring Shisui back to life. "If I had known we would be siblings, then I would've requested for him to be saved too…" She sighed. "He really was a good older brother… I miss him…"

Tears smarted in Suiren's eyes, but she quickly brushed them away. There was no point pondering over what couldn't be undone. Right now, she had to try her best to become the smartest and strongest kunoichi she could be, all so that she could change Itachi's fate.

Suiren stared into the mirror again and touched the hair tie on her wrist. "For now, let's make myself presentable and go explore the village."

* * *

The sun shone brightly over the village as Suiren wandered through the streets. She was dressed in flowy pants with a sleeveless top that had a big collar, a style that the Uchiha Clan was known for. On her feet were the standard ninja sandals. She had cut her long hair so that it reached her waist. After contemplating whether she should tie it into a low ponytail like Itachi, she decided to tie a high ponytail to avoid any possible suspicion on her looks. On her forehead was Shisui's forehead protector that he had left behind.

Suiren walked through random streets and parks, buying food from stalls occasionally. There was no need to gather information on the Akatsuki since her memories had returned, so she decided to just have some fun. She toured through the village, smiling when she spotted the iconic Academy training grounds and the great stone faces of the Hokages. She sat down to eat a bowl of ramen at Ichiraku Ramen. The noodles were just the right softness, and the broth was hot and flavorful. After paying for her meal, she walked around some more before finally stopping to rest on a lone bench.

The ninja world was definitely interesting compared to the life she had lived on Earth. Although, Suiren noticed her subdued reactions to exploring Konoha. If it had been Sayumi in this world, she would have screamed excitedly the whole time being in Naruto's world. But right now, it was Suiren exploring the village. She was a new girl who happened to have Sayumi's memories. Suiren was a girl who was mostly unfeeling and had been shaped by her dark childhood while Sayumi was an outgoing fangirl. Thus, after awakening the two clashing personalities had mixed together. Suiren noticed that while she was more emotional now, she still viewed most things indifferently, save for the few outbursts like when she met Kakashi. She was definitely excited when looking around the stalls and shops, but it was nowhere near the excitement a regular person would have. The Suiren now was like a very mellow version of Sayuri. She didn't mind though. Actually, she felt this version of her was best.

As Suiren pondered over her thoughts, three genin passed by her.

"Sakura-chan, wait for me!" A blond boy in an orange suit chased after the pink-haired girl as she tried to swat his hands away.

"Eww, get away from me, Naruto!" Sakura yelled.

A dark-haired boy in blue sighed as he followed behind.

Seeing this sight, Suiren's mouth opened in shock, then she gave a small laugh. _I never thought I would be able see these three so quickly…_

Just as the three were about to pass her, Sasuke spotted Suiren and paused to stare at her. Something about this person… reminded him of… what?

"Yes, Uchiha Sasuke?" Suiren asked while giving a faint smile.

"… How do you know me? I've never seen you before."

"Everyone knows who you are," She responded mysteriously.

Sasuke continued to scrutinize Suiren's appearance but couldn't figure out what was so familiar about her.

"Sasuke-kun, hurry up!"

"Teme, you're dragging us behind!"

Sasuke grunted when he heard the two's yells, but before he left, he stared at Suiren one last time.

"Who are you?" He inquired.

"Hmm, you'll find out later in the future," Suiren said with a glint in her eye.

Unamused by her response, Sasuke turned to leave as he grumbled.

"Good luck. Let us meet again later when fate allows it," Suiren faintly whispered, but her voice was lost in the wind, not reaching Sasuke's ears.

After the three figures disappeared fully, Suiren stood up and stretched her arms. It was time to head back and plan the rest of her remaining time to prepare for the day she would be reunited with her beloved Itachi.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

-1 year later, final Chuunin exams

In just a blink of an eye, the year had gone by quickly. Suiren dressed and checked up on all her equipment. She meticulously counted the number of kunai and scrolls in her pack, then stood in front of the mirror to tie her hair. Lastly, she put on the keepsake from Shisui and stared at herself.

Today was her last day in Konoha. Her apartment was cleaned until there wasn't a speck of dust left anywhere. Suiren took in a deep breath. She had trained and studied every day for the past year to prepare for this day. From learning ninjutsu and honing her eye's ocular jutsu with Kakashi to studying all the forbidden texts and medical scripts in the library, she had literally done everything possible. Suiren was now a master at all three areas that made up the ideal shinobi. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that she was stronger than the average Jounin. Rather, no one knew of her true strength, not even Kakashi. Even he didn't know she possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Actually, Suiren was technically past the Hokage level, thanks to her training and wish to the god of rebirth, but that was a secret only she knew. She had passed the first two tests of the Chuunin exam with flying colors, all by herself. She had been careful to not be labeled a prodigy, though, so average citizens thought she was just very talented. But she had still caught the eyes of many shinobi because of her unique ways of fighting.

Suiren grabbed her pack and turned around to leave the room she had called home. Just before leaving, a detail her eye caught in the mirror caused her to pause. She stared at herself again, her hand unconsciously reaching to grasp her ponytail.

"Soon…" She whispered as she traced her hand over the hair tie. She took one last look around her home before leaving through the front door and locking the apartment.

* * *

-Chuunin arena

Suiren lazily walked through the hallway to her waiting room. She glided past the other rooms with her hands pushed into her pockets, ignoring the glares from the other contestants. They were all wary towards her, knowing she was one of the favorites to win.

Suiren simply shrugged. She wasn't going to see any of them anyways after today; she just wanted the day to be over already so that she could proceed with her plan to find Itachi-kun. Her room was at the end of the hall, and as she got closer, she noticed a silver-haired figure leaning against the doorframe.

"Oh? Are you here to cheer me on?" Suiren joked.

Kakashi chuckled as he closed his orange book. "You and I already know the results. Just make sure to not go too crazy."

Suiren rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I won't use my Sharingan."

"As long as you know," Kakashi winked. "Well, good luck. I'll be watching from the audience." And with that, he disappeared into nothing.

Suiren yawned as she sat on the bench. _Should I take a nap until it's my turn?_

* * *

It was finally the final fight of the Chuunin exams. Suiren yawned again, hand covering her open mouth as she trudged to the middle of the field. Her past opponents were much too weak, so she hoped the last dude would at least be somewhat of a challenge.

The cheers from the crowd filled the area as her opponent stepped onto the stage. He had on a haughty expression as he scrutinized Suiren's appearance. Suiren raised her brow as she noticed his eyes.

"Ah? You are a-"

"I am Hyuga Noa," The boy interrupted proudly. "As the most talented in the Hyuga Clan I'll make this end as fast as possible so you won't get too embarrassed."

"Hehhh, I see," Suiren's nonchalant gaze sharpened as she glared at the boy with the bloodline she hated. Even if they were a noble clan and she loved them as Sayumi, her childhood spent suffering in that house caused her to lose respect for them.

Suiren then had an idea. She looked up and scanned the civilians in the bleachers until she spotted who she was looking for: the Hyuga elder. The two made eye contact.

"…" The past Hyuga head stared at Suiren. Why had the girl deliberately searched for his gaze? And why did she seem so oddly familiar to him? Then Suiren abruptly gave an eerie smile that sent a chill up his spine. This girl couldn't be… No. He was being senile.

Her smile didn't go unnoticed by a certain figure in the back, either. Kakashi sighed. She was definitely up to something.

Suiren smiled sweetly at the elder, then her eyes went cold as she turned back to face the boy. Noa grinned with confidence as he formed the traditional Hyuga Gentle Fist pose.

"Just make this a little fun for me, alright?" He laughed.

Suiren grinned, then pushed her leg back and brought her palm forward, mimicking Noa's stance.

"You!" Noa's eyes widened at her familiar stance. "Are you trying to mock my family right now? Even though you aren't a Hyuga!"

Suiren laughed. "I'm really confident about my technique, you know."

"Y-you… I'll crush you!" Noa screamed as the referee swung his hand down.

"Start!" He yelled as he stepped back from the battlefield.

Noa immediately tried to create an opening as he dove at Suiren with his chakra-filled fingertips. The crowd yelled in excitement because his speed was very fast, to the point where his arms' movements appeared as blurry streaks. But Suiren dodged each of his advances with ease.

 _Ahh, this is boring. The dude doesn't even come close to Neji_ , Suiren thought as she evaded his moves.

Noa started sweating as he realized none of his attacks were hitting, and he immediately fell back, creating a distance between the two. As the two paused their battle, it was obvious that Noa was tired while Suiren wasn't breathing heavily at all.

Noa was at a loss. He wasn't sure how to go about the fight now. He had miscalculated Suiren's strength.

"Done already?" Suiren sighed, then smiled with a glint in her eye. "Then, I'll be attacking now. Be prepared."

Noa gasped in shock as Suiren adjusted her footing. Her legs were wider apart and one arm was stretched at an angle straight behind, the other facing forward with her palms facing upwards. That stance was…

"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms?!" The Hyuga elder bolted from his seat as he watched his student get plummeted from all directions.

* * *

A/N: Here is this week's chapter! I received some very generous reviews and I just wanted to thank you for them! Thank you guys for following my story so far, even though I have so much to improve on. Seeing the little notifications pop up on my phone always makes me smile (:


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Two palms!"

"Four palms!"

"Eight palms!"

Suiren was merciless as she pierced every single chakra point on Noa's body.

"Sixty-four palms!" She shouted as her last attack thrust Noa into the arena walls.

Bam!

The dust cloud cleared to reveal a crumpled Noa on the floor. He coughed a mouthful of blood as he stared at Suiren in fear. He knew that all his chakra points had been hit; it would be impossible to mold any chakra now.

"How…! You're not a Hyuga! How can you hit my chakra points so precisely without the eyes! How do you know our techniques?" Noa pitifully tried to stand on his feet.

"Hmm… For chakra points, I remember where every single one of them are. As for the rest… Ask the old grandpa in your clan." Suiren smirked as she walked closer to the boy.

"S-stay away!" Noa used the last of his energy to throw kunai from all directions towards Suiren. _Even if she can use Gentle Fist, since she doesn't have the Byakugan she won't be able to dodge all of these from a blind spot!_

But Suiren didn't look fazed at all. Instead, she paused. Suddenly, a huge sphere of chakra engulfed her, appearing as a spinning sphere. All of the kunai were deflected, and they all clattered onto the ground.

"N… No way…" Noa choked out as he lost his last bit of consciousness and sank to the ground.

The crowd was silent. Everyone froze in awe at the fight. The Hyuga elder stared at Suiren with his mouth open. His body started to tremble as the referee announced Suiren's victory. His suspicions had been right that night. The girl had turned into an unstoppable monster, and she hadn't even used her Sharingan. He had made a mistake training her. Would she come for his clan next? He hurriedly sprang from his seat in the audience.

Suiren gazed at the now cheering crowd with a bored expression. She walked towards the exit and proceeded to walk towards the waiting room again to gather her packed items. This time, there was another figure waiting near the door.

"Ah..." Suiren sighed as the Hyuga elder glared at her. "Is there anything you need, Hyuga-sama? Or should I say, M-a-s-t-e-r?"

The Hyuga elder remained silent, then abruptly spoke. "Please, don't harm my family…"

"… Huh?" Suiren raised her brows in surprise at the old man's request. Her response gave him some hope.

"I was… wrong to treat you the way I did when you were a child. I was afraid of your potential, so I acted the way I did. If there's anyone you want revenge against, take it out on me…"

Suiren was genuinely shocked at the old man's thoughts.

"Hyuga-sama, I'm not as heartless as you think I am," She curtly replied. "Although I do hate you and the man who brought me to you, I won't do something so petty as killing your clan."

The Hyuga elder gazed at Suiren in thankful relief when he heard her words. Suiren grabbed her bag from her locker and started walking out.

"If I had known our fates would cross like this, I would have treated you better. I'm sorry." The elder murmured.

Suiren paused before she went through the door.

"No, it's alright. Although I don't forgive you, it is normal for anomalies to be treated that way. Such is the nature of people… Instead, I thank you. Without your harsh teachings, I wouldn't be the person I am today," She replied with one foot out the entrance. "Ah, but I think we would both agree that you should remember the saying 'treat others how you want to be treated,' right?" She gave one last side-eye glance then left the old grandpa to the silence of the room.

Kakashi was waiting for her at the exit.

"Didn't you say you wouldn't bring unnecessary attention to yourself?" He said with a tired crinkle in his eye.

"I didn't reveal my Sharingan," Suiren countered as she turned left to go to the Hokage's office.

"Your home is in the opposite direction."

"Of course I know that!" Suiren pouted, then her gaze softened as she looked at her sensei. She smiled fondly at her second favorite character in the series. He was exactly the person she had imagined him to be, and it had been a dream to train with him the past year. At least this man deserved to be told of her plans.

"Ne, Sensei, why don't you come with me? I want you to know what I'm going to do."

"Oh? And how did you decide for me to receive this honor?" Kakashi started following in her direction.

"… Because you're the third person I trust."

* * *

The two walked in silence up the stairs to the Hokage's office. Unfortunately, Suiren was met with an unexpected confrontation.

Kakashi narrowed his visible eye and stepped in front of Suiren as if to shield her from the person approaching them.

"Don't be so guarded, Kakashi," Danzo said light-heartedly as he peered at Suiren. Suiren stared back, unafraid of him.

"Suiren, correct? I was impressed by your skills at the Chuunin exams today," Danzo said as he studied her face. "Where did you learn all your skills? And your appearance reminds me of… Well, that doesn't matter. If you like, I could offer you a position in my team called the Root to serve me."

"Danzo-" Kakashi was about to retort back but Suiren tugged on his vest. She coldly made eye contact with the man and gave a superficial smile.

"I am honored by the offer, but I have no interest in serving you," She curtly said, hinting that she didn't want to be loyal to someone like him.

Danzo's fake smile vanished and was replaced by a frown. "You will regret not taking my offer," He warned as he walked away. "I suggest you watch out for your wellbeing in the future."

Suiren fought to stifle a laugh. _Bro, you were literally the cause of every single problem in Konoha. What I would give to kill you right now… But that would change the future too much._

"I suggest… that you enjoy what little years you have left," She whispered towards the disappeared figure. _Eh, whatever, you're going to die soon enough._

Kakashi's sharp ears heard Suiren's words and he studied the girl as she walked towards the office.

"What is it, sensei?" Suiren asked curiously.

"Nothing."

They had finally reached the huge double doors.

"Come in," Tsunade answered.

Suiren and Kakashi stepped inside to the middle of the room. Tsunade looked up from her work.

"Well, if it isn't our newest Chuunin, Suiren. You've grown a lot in the past year."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade rested her chin on her hand. "So, for what reason have you come to my office? Surely it's not to celebrate."

Suiren gave a small nod. She took in a deep breath. She had prepared what she was about to say for weeks now. The day to say it had finally come.

"The reason I have come is to tell you that I will be leaving Konoha today."


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Silence filled the room. The three people were so still that the ticking of the clock could be heard. Kakashi turned to gaze at Suiren, while Tsunade's eyebrow shot upwards. Suiren didn't break eye contact with the Hokage and continued her gaze to show her seriousness.

"And why is that? What made you decide this so suddenly?" Tsunade demanded, her voice slowly revealing its harshness. Kakashi remained silent. He had suspected Suiren to have many secrets, but what she revealed now had slightly surprised him.

"It's not sudden. I've decided this from the moment I woke up from my coma," Suiren carefully replied.

Tsunade's straight expression turned into a small glare, trying to decipher Suiren's thoughts. _Yikes, this baa-chan really is scary when she's serious_ , Suiren thought, but she successfully kept her stoic face on.

"What's the reason?"

This was the question Suiren was waiting for.

"… I'm going to find Uchiha Itachi."

"WHAT?!" Tsunade's fist slammed down onto the table as she sprang from her chair. Kakashi stared at Suiren who didn't flinch at the Hokage's rage, this time in utter shock.

"What did you just say, Uchiha Suiren?"

"You heard me right the first time."

"… Why."

"Partly to fulfil the second wish I made to my brother, Uchiha Shisui. And partly because… I love him, with all my heart. I finally understand everything about this world, so I don't need any more protection. I want to be with him."

As Suiren continued talking, Tsunade's figure increasingly trembled.

"Do you mean… to become a traitor to the village of Konoha?! After we took you in! Is this how you repay the village's kindness?!" Tsunade's voice increased in volume as her hands turned into fists. Kakashi worriedly glanced at the two women facing each other.

"I'm not becoming a traitor. And I came to tell you my plans out of respect."

"Uchiha Itachi is an S-rated criminal in the Bingo Book. He massacred his, _your_ clan years ago! And yet you want to leave and find him! Are you out of your mind?"

"Itachi is not a traitor." Suiren quietly replied.

"What?! Are you stupi-"

"Hokage-sama, you don't know anything about the background of Itachi, or of the incident years ago."

"What are you getting at?" Tsunade gained her rationality back and suppressed her urges to lunge at the potential traitor.

"I'm saying that what you know about what happened is just the surface," Suiren boldly answered, her voice unwavering. "I know what truly happened that night. And I know the true nature of Itachi-kun. There are only a few people who know the truth. Myself, Shisui, the late Fourth Hokage, and the elders and Danzo."

"The elders and Danzo…?" Tsunade gasped in shock.

Suiren nodded. "It's up to you whether you want to investigate or not. I suggest you be careful to not leave tracks, though I guess you'll find out in due time anyways…"

"Even if what you're saying is, by a fraction of a chance true, I still can't let you leave."

Suiren sighed. "I just want to be with the person I love. I've been separated from him for over 4 years now. I want to see him. You of all people should be able to understand me, shouldn't you?"

Tsunade flinched upon hearing Suiren's words.

"How do you-" She started, but she was silenced by the sincerity and sadness in Suiren's eyes.

"… You would be labeled as a missing ninja."

"Not if you write that you sent me on a long-term mission."

"Do you really have to go?"

"Yes."

Tsunade massaged her head with her hands in stress, then gazed at Suiren through narrowed eyes.

"What if… I said I would personally stop you by killing you?" The atmosphere in the room once again grew chilly. All Kakashi could do was stand to the side to avoid being pulled into the conversation.

"You can't stop me," Suiren responded with a calm voice.

"Oh?" Tsunade hadn't expected that sort of response. Something about the girl was too confident, yet she felt that she wasn't being arrogant about it.

"You cannot win against me," Suiren stated, her tone remaining tranquil.

"Uhh, Suiren," Kakashi tried to butt in. _That's the Hokage you're talking to…_

"Haha! Should we give it a try?" Tsunade grinned evilly, but Suiren remained unperturbed. Instead, she was starting to get impatient. The conversation was dragging on far longer than she had wanted. She deliberated on her next move.

"Hahh," She sighed. "I guess it's alright since there's only the two of you in here. As long as you keep it a secret."

Suiren blinked. What Tsunade saw next was a pair of red orbs staring into her pupils. But she didn't see the three tomoe that was expected.

"Mangekyo… Sharingan?" Both Tsunade and Kakashi spoke out in disbelief. Tsunade hurriedly glared at Kakashi for an explanation, but all he could do was shake his head in return. Suiren had never revealed that she possessed that sort of trump card.

The two of them then felt a rush of uneasiness. The air had suddenly turned fearful, causing goosebumps to rise on their skin.

"I have more tricks up my sleeve in case this doesn't convince you," Suiren said icily, her crimson orbs preventing Tsunade's gaze from breaking away.

 _She's only a Chuunin!_ Tsunade yelled out to her brain, and yet she still couldn't move. Her body had frozen from the choking bloodlust that Suiren was emanating. The girl had gone from peaceful to dangerous in just a split second, and her instincts told her that she should avoid a confrontation with the teenager.

"… Calm down. You've convinced me," Tsunade said through gritted teeth.

Suiren smiled at her answer, and immediately the air in the office returned back to normal.

Tsunade sank into her chair and laid her head on her hand. "I'll make up something about you being on a mission to explore some far away lands. But the moment you do anything to threaten my village, I will not hesitate to send assassins on you."

"Thank you," Suiren's face brightened as she bowed. "Ah, but you mistake one thing. Though I will be reuniting with Itachi-kun, do not worry. I will never participate in anything that would harm Konoha. I love this place as well. It is my home."

Tsunade's expression softened at her words. "I see. I'm glad you view this place as your home, given what you had to go through as a child. We are done here. Leave now," She said as she tiredly waved her hand towards Suiren.

Suiren turned around and opened the door, but just before she left, she glanced back at the woman.

"I'll be back one day. And that time… I won't be alone," She said with a small smile.

* * *

-Konoha gates

"Were you happy with my gift, Kakashi Sensei?" Suiren laughed as Kakashi looked at her with a tired expression.

"You consider dropping that statement at the office a gift?" He muttered. "You might as well have dropped a bomb instead."

Suiren's laughter grew louder. "But you being there means I consider you a loved one, you know that?"

"Even though you didn't reveal that you had the Mangekyo Sharingan?"

"Shh! There's people around! And besides, no one was supposed to find out until way later." Suiren pouted.

Kakashi's eye crinkled at the sight of his student. He had to admit he had grown fond of her over the past year. And then there was the topic of her mysterious side as well. The girl in front of him could switch from being a sweet honey-talker to a deadly killer. She was too smart for her age as well. And sometimes she acted weirdly, as if she could even predict the future at times…

Kakashi's thoughts were interrupted by Suiren.

"Ne, Kakashi…" She looked down as she felt the tears start to gather. Impulsively, Suiren ran and wrapped the silver-haired man in a tight hug. "Thank you." She whispered. "Thank you, for being the best mentor I ever had. For becoming someone I could count on here. You're just the person I imagined you to be."

"Suiren…" Kakashi pondered over her heartfelt words as he patted her head. Then his hand froze. _What did she say? 'You're the person I imagined you to be'? And she called me so familiarly, as if she knows me…_

"Suiren, I know this may seem a bit far-fetched, but tell me this one thing as the teacher you trust: did you come from a parallel dimension?"

"Huh?" Suiren froze in shock as Kakashi's eyes peered deeply into hers. _Oh shit. I was too sentimental and got careless… This is what I get for being a Kakashi fan…_

She knew she couldn't lie because he could see through everything. Suiren sighed as she untangled herself from Kakashi's arms and smiled meekly.

"As expected of Kakashi Sensei, you're too smart and observant for your own good."

"So I'm right."

"Mm, before I answer that, I want to ask you something. Do you trust me?"

Kakashi was surprised by Suiren's question. Although the girl was interesting, he knew from his observations that her actions were always sincere with no ulterior motives.

"I do."

Suiren's smile grew wider. "I didn't come from a parallel universe…" She answered.

Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows.

"… I can't tell you everything, but I can give you a hint. I don't know about parallel universes, but there are many different worlds out there."

"… So you're saying you came from a different world?"

"Mmm… Sensei, do you believe in rebirth?"

"I didn't, but now I do."

"Hahaha!" Suiren burst out in laughter. "I'm sure you can figure it out," She said as she grabbed her travel pack. _Well, you won't be able to figure out the whole truth. I can't say that you were part of a television series, after all._

Suiren began walking out the entrance gates as she waved at her mentor, but she suddenly stopped. _I suppose I could make him even more curious about my identity…_ She thought with a cunning grin.

Kakashi wondered why Suiren had paused in her steps. Suddenly Suiren teleported right in front of him in a puff of smoke.

"One last thank-you gift before I really go," Suiren breathed as she gave the man a peck on his cheek. Then she raised her lips to his ear. "Ah, and I'm sure you won't do this, but don't you dare go and show anyone your handsome face without a mask. I want to be the only one to know that you have a mole near your lower lip…"

Kakashi turned his face in shock and subconsciously touched his mask as Suiren gave one last giggle that sounded like soft bells chiming.

"See you, Kakashi!" She waved as she quickly jumped into the tree branches and disappeared from Kakashi's sight.

Kakashi could only stand in silent amazement in the direction of the trail that Suiren had gone. It was a long time before he finally moved from his spot to go back to his apartment. His senses finally returned as he stepped into his bedroom.

"I can't wait to see what kind of woman she'll turn out to be in a few years' time," He chuckled as he spied the picture of the two of them on his bed stand.

"See you, Suiren."

* * *

A/N: And finalllyyyy this arc is over! Now we're moving on to Suiren's journey to find her love! I'm so sorry for the delayed interaction of Suiren and Itachi. They will finally be meeting soon! How will Itachi's first encounter with Suiren be? How will their relationship develop? To be revealed later~

Also I found out from a review that there are ads in the middle of my writing? I'm so sorry, I had no idea they were doing that. I'm not really sure how to get rid of them either... If anyone knows anything please tell me!


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Suiren plunged deeper and deeper into the forest's territory, jumping across the thick tree branches. The closer she got to her destination, the faster her heartbeat grew. She could feel the thump of every pulse, as if her heart would jump out of her body any second. Finally, she would be able to see Uchiha Itachi in person. Just the thought of it motivated herself to travel faster, and she danced through the forest at a speed that made everything look like a blur.

Finally, she decided to freshen up near a river a couple of hours later. After taking a rest in the grass and eating some onigiri, she stood up to drink some of the cool river water. She splashed her face with the water as well and paused to stare at her reflection.

"Ah, I almost forgot," She mused as she ran her fingers through her long hair. She let down her hair from its high ponytail and retied it so that her ponytail was much lower, almost looking like it wasn't tied at all. She pulled her long ponytail to the left so that it cascaded over her left shoulder. Suiren smiled at herself in the running water.

"Much better."

Suiren packed up the rest of her gear and started running through the grounds again, until she reached the edge of the forest. The forest ended on a small cliff, with a large river running through the bottom. On the other side of the river was another cliff, the start to another forest. Suiren was satisfied when she saw the entrance to the Akatsuki hideout that was built into the cliff. Her heart started racing as she dropped down and walked across the water to the entrance.

The cave-like entrance was dark except for a few candles hanging on the walls. There was just enough light to see that there were multiple hallways.

"Ugh, I've always had bad luck with these kinds of things…" Suiren stared at the multiple entrances and finally decided on the middle hall. But just as she was about to talk another step, she was interrupted by the emergence of another chakra signature.

"Whoever you are, you're pretty bold to come right into our home," Hidan smirked as he appeared from the left hallway.

Suiren gazed at him through half-open eyes. _Ugh, it's vampire dude…_

"Hello," She said nonchalantly.

Hidan brought out his creepy smile as he saw Suiren's calm demeanor. "Hmm, you can't possibly be here to learn about Jashin-sama since you're from Konoha. Does this mean you're an enemy I could sacrifice?"

"Hidan, who are you talking to?" Kakuzu grumbled as he appeared behind his partner. His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of Suiren.

"Oh? A little girl? You look like you have a nice, healthy heart."

Suiren cringed inside. This time it was the old man.

"I'm looking for someone," She replied calmly.

"The person you're looking for isn't here. You see, we're all wanted criminals."

"He's here."

"Haha, how arrogant. It makes me want to kill you right now…"

"…"

Just then another figure appeared from the right hallway.

"Man, why're you guys being so loud in here?" Kisame growled as he swung Samehada over his shoulder. He paused when he saw Suiren. "Ah, looks like a poor little girl wandered into our hideout. You've got bad luck, child."

Suiren sighed. There were people popping up left and right, and yet none of them were the one she wanted to see. And she was not a child! Yes, she was short at 157 centimeters, but she was a teenager!

"Kisame."

"Hah?" Kisame furrowed his eyes when Suiren called him name. "How do you know me? You a tracker kunoichi or something?"

"I said I'm looking for someone," Suiren repeated coolly.

"I don't like this bitch, let's kill her," Hidan yelled.

"Let me have her heart," Kakuzu yawned.

Suiren really felt like killing all three of the shinobi at that moment, but she held herself back. It would alter the storyline too much, and she knew she shouldn't meddle in events that were supposed to happen. Their times would come soon enough anyways.

"Let me see Uchiha Itachi," She demanded.

"Itachi? What business do you have with my partner?" Kisame yelled. He grasped Samehada and filled the room with his chakra. "I'll kill you right no-"

"Who's looking for me?" A deep voice sounded from the dark.

Suiren froze as she slowly turned her body to face the direction where the voice came from. Slowly, a black figure appeared from the darkness. He wore the traditional Akatsuki cloak, and his hair was in a low ponytail. His face showed an expression of wary laziness with his signature facial lines.

Itachi gazed across the room and made eye contact with Suiren. His eyebrows rose when he saw her. Something about the girl was familiar even though he had never met her. From her demeanor to her appearance, he was suddenly reminded of the home he had destroyed with his own hands.

Suiren's voice caught in her throat as her eyes refused to break their hold on the man's eyes. Her mind went blank at seeing him so close, within reach. She had waited for this day so long, to the point where she had had dreams about reuniting with the man of her dreams every week. She had gone over this scenario so many times in her head. For it to finally be happening, a surge of emotions rose in her heart, threatening to burst. She was finally in the same room as her beloved love. All she could do was slightly tremble as she continued staring in awe. To be able to see him finally… _He was beautiful_ , she thought.

Itachi was confused as he noticed the deep emotion in Suiren's eyes. Feelings of shock, sorrow, confusion, happiness, and… endearment?

"I believe we have never met," He spoke out first.

Suiren jolted from hearing Itachi's mellow voice, but her mind still stayed blank. Subconsciously, she reached out her hand towards Itachi and slowly took a step towards him.

"I… Itachi… kun…" She choked out as she slowly got closer to Itachi.

Itachi stood still when he heard the girl call out his name. He didn't move away as Suiren reached closer and closer. Something about her was mesmerizing, and he couldn't help but watch her every movement.

Just as Suiren was about to be a foot away from Itachi, a wrapped sword separated the two of them.

"Don't even try to get any closer," Kisame snarled.

Suiren finally woke from her daze. She slowly brought her hand down and painstakingly broke her gaze with Itachi to glare at Kisame.

"Why do you prevent me from going forward? You can already tell from my chakra that I don't plan to hurt Itachi."

"You expect me to believe that?" Kisame laughed evilly.

Suiren raised her eyebrow. "The only person I care about is Itachi. The rest of you are nothing to me. I suggest you get out of my way."

"You…! I'll kill you right now!" Kisame yelled as he prepared to swing Samehada.

Itachi watched as his partner raised his sword. On the other hand, Suiren was looking down, her hair covering her face. Just as Kisame was about to bring down his weapon, Suiren slightly raised her head, and a flash of red caught Itachi's discerning eye.

"Kisame, stop," He ordered.

"What?!" Kisame became startled as he stopped his swing mid-air. He angrily glared at Itachi. "Why did you stop me?!"

"I just saved your life," Itachi simply replied as his eyes remained focused on the girl in front of him.

"What do you me-" Kisame realized Itachi was still staring at Suiren, so he shifted his gaze as well. He impulsively stepped backwards and hit the wall behind him. The moment he saw the girl's eyes, a sense of fear had immediately formed in his mind.

"Sh… Sharingan…?" He gasped in shock.

Suiren's scarlet orbs were locked onto his pupils with a glare so piercing that he felt as if his insides were being torn even without a genjutsu.

"Stand back, Kisame," Itachi ordered as his own black eyes turned into a scarlet that matched Suiren's. Suiren's eyes grew wider when she noticed him activate his Sharingan. She immediately deactivated her eyes to show she meant no danger to him. Only her deep eyes stared directly into Itachi's red eyes, silently pleading for him to give her a chance. Itachi grew even more surprised at her actions. Another Sharingan user. An Uchiha survivor. How? He had so many questions.

"What is your name?" Itachi asked.

Suiren gratefully smiled at Itachi for not hitting her with a genjutsu.

"It's our first time meeting face to face. My name is Uchiha Suiren. My older brother, Uchiha Shisui, told me to look for you…"

Itachi stared in disbelief as tears started to fall from Suiren's eyes.

"… Finally, I get to meet you."


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Itachi stared in silence at the girl standing before him. She had said that she was an Uchiha, and his best friend's little sister. Upon closer examination, he realized that she indeed bore a resemblance to Shisui. Her round eyes with their upturned corners were exactly like the eyes he remembered on her brother. Her appearance was also that of an Uchiha, although her face carried softer features.

 _Take care of her._

Itachi remembered Shisui's last words to him. He finally understood what his words meant now. Of course, he wouldn't go against his best friend's dying wish.

"She's with me," He stated to the people in the room. Hidan and Kakuzu shrugged their shoulders and went back to their rooms while Kisame stared at Itachi in shock.

"Follow me," Itachi whispered as he turned around and went back the direction he came. Suiren hastily wiped her tears and half ran to follow behind into his room.

Itachi closed the door behind them so that the two were facing each other in silence. Suiren didn't know how to act now that he was so close to her. The overwhelming surge of emotions and her blank mind resulted in her becoming frozen in place. All she could do was stare at the person of her dreams, afraid that he would disappear again.

Itachi didn't know what to say either. Here was an Uchiha survivor besides himself and his little brother. She wasn't just any Uchiha, either. She was the little sister of Shisui. Itachi realized that Shisui had planned this all out. But still, he knew Shisui's family. He was aware of how many siblings he had. Although the resemblance was undeniable…

"Are you really Shisui's sister?" He asked warily.

Suiren nodded firmly, the sincerity showing in her eyes. "I am half Uchiha, half Uzumaki. A lot of things happened during my childhood, that I would rather not talk about. But I've lived in the basement of Shisui's home since I was 4… Only the Hokage and a few other people know of my true identity in the village. Even in the house only Shisui and our father knew of my existence."

Itachi calmly took in the new information. While his face was stoic, his eyes held a slight shine of surprise. To think that Shisui's father had an affair with a woman from the now dead Uzumaki Clan. It wasn't a surprise he would hide his secret child from the judgement of the world. But there were still a lot of unanswered questions he had.

"If you lived in Shisui's basement, how are you still alive? Everyone was supposed to have been killed that day. I… made sure that."

"The Uchiha Massacre?" Suiren guessed his thoughts. Itachi remained silent, but his expression told her to continue.

"Shisui knew of your plans. So he put me into a coma and into a chakra concealing sleeping chamber. That way you wouldn't have been able to find my chakra signature. The seal broke about 2 years ago, and I woke up then. I wanted to search for you immediately, but that time I didn't know anything about the world. So I trained every day and honed my skills in order to reach you one day. I'm finally here…" Suiren trailed off, her voice starting to shake. She tried to stop her tears from coming, and instead focused on the picture frame on Itachi's otherwise empty desk.

Itachi's eyes followed Suiren as she walked over to the desk and gently picked up the frame. It was an old photo of Itachi playing with Sasuke when they were children. Her fingers slowly traced the faces on the glass panel.

"How old are you?" Itachi was curious.

"15 this year."

Itachi became quiet after, surprised. He was only 2 years older than her? Suiren glanced sideways at him. "Consequences of being in a coma for so long. I may be short but I'm just as mature as you." _Well, maybe even more because I once was a girl in her early twenties…_

Her attention returned to the photo as Itachi pondered over his thoughts. "He's going to come for you one day, you know…"

"He has every right to. I killed his whole clan, all to test the limits of my capabilities."

Suiren gave a slight, sad smile. "You don't have to pretend in front of me. I know everything. It comes with being Shisui's sibling."

Itachi was speechless upon hearing her words. He was unsure of how to react. He had thought that he would have to act as the villain forever, in front of everyone, so when Suiren had seen through his façade, he didn't know what to say.

Suiren carefully set down the frame and turned to face Itachi. She slowly walked towards him, afraid of alarming him.

"I know that Danzo forced you to choose between your clan and your brother Sasuke. I don't blame you for your choice. My late brother wouldn't blame you either if he were still alive. Everything you did was for the sake of Sasuke. I admire that you chose to sacrifice so much for him. I know that behind that mask, you are a truly kind and loving person. Even if Shisui didn't ask me to take care of you, I would have gone to search for you regardless the moment I woke up. That's why, Itachi… kun. You don't have to go through that pain when you're with me. Because… I'm on your side."

Suiren finished her speech with loving conviction. She was right in front of Itachi now, the two standing just a foot apart. Itachi didn't know what to feel. He was overcome with his own conflicting feelings as well. He was usually an extremely wary and unfeeling person, but he somehow felt that he could put his trust into Suiren even though they had just met today. He was feeling way too many things at the moment, but one thing he was definitely feeling was relief.

Although Itachi hadn't shown any change in expression, Suiren noticed the shiny reflection of his eyes. Upon seeing the emotions hidden behind them, she couldn't stop her own tears from falling. She impulsively reached out her arms and wrapped them around Itachi's waist. She knew that her action would be a gamble, but at that moment she couldn't control her emotions.

Itachi, as expected, became stiff as he felt her hug. He wasn't used to being given any shows of affection. He stood frozen as she quietly sobbed on his chest. The two awkwardly parted after a few minutes and stood in silence once again.

"I'm so happy to have finally met you," Suiren said as she calmed down and wiped her tears. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to see you."

Itachi had returned to his usual composed self. "… Hn. What do you plan to do now?"

Itachi's words made Suiren remember her purpose. She looked at him with a fire in her eyes.

"I only live for one purpose. You saved me when I was in despair, so now it's my turn to save you. I want to bring you happiness."

Itachi raised his brow. "There's no such thing as redemption and happiness for someone like me. But I intend to fulfil Shisui's dying wish, and it was to take care of you, so you may stay here. Just think of me as your older brother now."

Suiren's initial smile turned into a frown. "I don't want another older brother. Shisui Onii-chan is enough for me."

"Then what do you desire?"

Suiren blushed slightly, her pink cheeks not escaping Itachi's scrutiny. "Just… let me be with you. I will always be by your side and will never betray you for as long as I'm alive, so in exchange… just allow me to be by your side," She mumbled quietly.

Itachi realized that Suiren had romantic feelings for him, which confused him because they had just met today. Of course, he was unaware that Suiren had loved him since childhood. Itachi only knew of familial love, so he decided to just treat Suiren as a younger sister. He thought of himself as someone who would die without ever falling in love. He didn't deserve it anyway.

Pretending to not notice her feelings, Itachi quickly spoke.

"Alright, as long as you don't get in my way."

"Really?" Suiren sighed in relief. "I won't get in your way. After all, I was trained by Shisui himself. I'm sure I can prove my helpfulness to you in the future." _I will devote my life to saving you, Itachi-kun._

"Hn, it's late. I'll take you to a room to rest for the night. We'll introduce you to Akatsuki tomorrow."

Itachi led Suiren to the empty room next to his. It was simple like his room, with only a bed, desk, dresser, and a door leading to a bathroom.

"I'll be in my room then," Itachi abruptly left, leaving Suiren to herself in the sparse room. Suiren immediately felt exhausted and dropped onto the bed, laying in silence. She breathed deeply as she went over the events that had happened in just one day.

She had finally reunited with Itachi. Just by meeting him, half of her goal had already been fulfilled. Now, all that was left was giving him happiness. She didn't care about herself. Even though she loved Itachi with all her heart and soul, she knew realistically that it would be near impossible for him to have feelings for her as well.

To just be by his side as his protector was enough for her. She already had a part of a plan formed.

"I will… definitely save you… Itachi… kun…" Suiren whispered as her eyelids closed into darkness for the night.

A/N: Itachi decides to take care of Suiren as an older brother, while Suiren decides that she will stay by Itachi's side out of love. How will their relationship progress in the future? Also, sorry for releasing the chapter so late! It's been a bit hectic these days.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Suiren woke to the sunlight's rays piercing through her closed lids through the window. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking away the blurriness. Then she suddenly sat upright, a fearful thought occurring.

"Itac-"

"I'm here," A voice sounded.

Suiren froze and shifted her gaze to find Itachi leaning against the wall. He was gazing at her with his usual expressionless face. Suiren's fast breaths immediately slowed and she released her grip on the now crumpled blanket.

"I thought… what happened yesterday was a dream… It scared me," She said bluntly while slightly blushing. Her cheeks slightly burned against the cool air.

Itachi just nodded. "I brought your breakfast," He indicated towards the porridge and glass of water on the table. "We'll go meet the others after you've eaten and washed up. I'll be in my room." With that, he left without letting Suiren even utter a "thanks."

Suiren scarfed down the plain meal after stretching in bed. She quickly went to the bathroom and freshened herself. After dressing and tying her hair into a low ponytail, she knocked on Itachi's door and the two walked through the main hallway into the large lounge room, where the others were waiting.

Kisame glared at Suiren who was standing behind Itachi. Kakuzu ignored the two's presence, while Hidan gave a creepy grin.

"All of you aren't here, but this is Uchiha Suiren. She was entrusted to me a long time ago, so I'm just fulfilling a dead friend's old promise. She'll be part of Akatsuki starting from today," Itachi stated nonchalantly.

"Aw man, guess she can't be a sacrifice for Jashin-sama if she's with us now. You can't have an extra heart either, Kakuzu," Hidan laughed. Kakuzu showed no reaction.

Kisame sprang from his couch. "Are you replacing me as your partner, Itachi?!" He shouted.

"Wrong," Suiren peeped from behind Itachi before he could respond. "I don't really care about Akatsuki, so I won't be joining in any of your missions. I'm only joining because Itachi-kun is here."

"Itachi… kun?!" Kisame's face scrunched in disgust.

"If I have to prove my worth then I don't mind healing you guys when you have injuries. I'm pretty adept at medical ninjutsu."

"We have Kakuzu for that!" Kisame seethed. "You're just a weak bitch blackmailing Itachi! Get out before I kill you myself!"

"Shut up, shark," Suiren calmly retorted. Hidan burst out laughing, while Kakuzu turned away. Even Itachi felt the corners of his mouth lifting. "You wouldn't be able to lift a finger on me anyways."

"BITCH FIGHT M-"

"What is this racket?" Just then, a red-haired young-looking boy and blonde teenager appeared.

"Oh? Is this a new member, my mans?" Deidara asked without taking in the atmosphere.

"New member my ass! I'm going to kill her!" Kisame roared.

Suiren's eyes popped when she noticed the red-haired boy. "Sasori of the Red Sand… I've always been a fan of you and your works…" She shyly mumbled with her eyes shining. Yes, Sasori was part of her Top 10 list.

Sasori glanced at Suiren as he sat down on one of the couches. "I accept her."

Suiren smiled gratefully, then turned back to Kisame. "I think it's unanimous."

"I can't accept a weakling like you! You would reveal our hideout the moment you're captured!"

Suiren lifted her brow. Kisame was more stubborn than she had expected.

"How about a duel then? If I win then I get to stay and you have to acknowledge me. If you win then I'll leave."

"Haha! Bring it on, child!" Kisame laughed out loud as he lifted Samehada.

"Suiren," Itachi looked at her. Those part of the Uchiha Clan usually had an attribute for the fire element, so it was bad luck to be stuck with a water-type like Kisame. There was also the problem of Uchihas having low chakra levels, while Kisame had an astronomical amount. She was at a huge disadvantage. He had no doubt she was strong since she was Uchiha Shisui's little sister, but even she would be no match for Kisame. However, Suiren smiled at him.

"Trust me."

"… Let's go then. You guys can duel in the forest." Itachi replied as he coolly turned towards the hallway.

"Wow I want to watch yeah!" Deidara ran through the hall behind the other three. Sasori, Kakuzu, and Hidan also stood to follow the rest. Watching a duel would be a nice way to pass the time.

A minute later, everyone was gathered at a small opening near the hideout.

"Don't blame me if I accidently kill you," Kisame sneered as he brought Samehada forward.

"You won't."

"…"

Itachi was referee of the match. "I'll intervene if needed. Start."

Kisame instantly formed a water jutsu seal and flooded the forest with water, causing everyone to balance on the liquid. "I've got you trapped now!" He gleefully yelled at the calm Suiren who was staring at her feet.

Suiren stared at her reflection standing on top of the clear water. No matter how many times she balanced on top of it, it always amazed her since she could only wish of doing it in her previous life. Noticing that Suiren was ignoring him, Kisame became angered.

"How dare you ignore me!" He formed more seals and sent water dragons in Suiren's direction.

Suiren noticed his attack and grinned. She decided to get slightly serious as well. Right before the dragons reached her, Suiren distributed chakra to her feet and propelled herself upwards. One second, she was floating in the air; the next, she had disappeared into thin air. Everyone was confused at the sight except Itachi, who silently smirked under his cloak. She had used Shisui's infamous Body Flicker Technique, and was even better at it than the originator had been. Had it not been for his Sharingan, Itachi wouldn't have been able to determine her location either. As of this moment, Suiren was crouched on a tree branch.

"Where is she! Stop being a coward and reveal yourself!" Kisame blindly sent his dragons in every direction, but he didn't go near the tree branches because he thought Suiren was standing somewhere on his mini ocean.

Suiren lazily watched Kisame rage as her chin rested on one hand. She wondered if she should wait for him to tire himself out to further anger him. But then she glanced over at the audience. While the others were watching Kisame, only one pair of crimson eyes were staring directly at her. Suiren and Itachi made eye contact in silence. Suiren understood that he wanted her to end the match quickly and rose to a standing position. She sighed and formed her hands into another seal. The only bad thing about Itachi was that he was way too serious.

Kisame was now sending mini tsunamis along with his dragons across the whole area, forcing Deidara to create some clay birds so that everyone could watch from the sky. Kisame grew more infuriated as Suiren still refused to reveal her location.

"Fight me as a true ninja, you coward!" He shouted. Just then, Kisame felt a slight breath next to his ear.

"Right behind you."

Kisame immediately reacted by rotating his body while swinging his sword at the same time. However, his impulsive action was a grave mistake. He didn't expect Suiren to be that close to him, so his wide swing completely missed her. At the same time, his eyes were captured at point blank by her swirling orbs of scarlet.

"Mangek-" Was all he could utter before the next second.

The next thing Kisame knew, he was strapped to a pole with no way of escaping. The world around him was distorted, so he knew he was in a genjutsu, but for some reason he couldn't escape. Everyone else except for Suiren had disappeared.

"W-where am I?!" Kisame screamed in panic.

"As of this moment, I will be stabbing you repeatedly for the next 72… No, I'll be nice and make it 24 hours instead," Suiren responded in a monotone voice.

"You…! How dare AHHH!" Kisame screamed in pain as the cycle mercilessly continued. He couldn't tell how much time was passing with each stab. All he could do was cry out in pain, praying for the cycle to end.

"The winner is Suiren," Itachi called out as Kisame abruptly fainted. From everyone else's point of view, all Suiren had done was sneak behind Kisame with a teleportation jutsu, and he had almost immediately fainted right after. The genjutsu had lasted just a moment in the real world.

"You… have the Mangekyo?" Kisame strained his neck to glower at Suiren as she emotionlessly smiled at him from above.

"Relax, I shortened it so that you wouldn't suffer psychological trauma," She smirked. Kisame stared in surprise at her expression. She had reminded him of Itachi in that moment.

Hidan whistled as Suiren nonchalantly walked towards them, leaving Kisame paralyzed on the ground.

Everyone else studied Suiren with a new expression of awe and respect. Even Itachi was gazing at her. He had noticed the moment her eyes spun into the pattern of the Mangekyo, inducing the effects of the Tsukuyomi. Not to mention that Suiren had beaten his partner so easily with no struggles whatsoever, hinting that she had even more cards hidden up her sleeve. Shisui had raised a monster.

"Genius…" He muttered under his breath as Suiren daintily stepped towards him.

"Hmm?"

"Welcome to the Akatsuki," He simply said as he turned around and walked back towards the entrance of the hideout. No one noticed his closed eyes and small smile from behind.

"Hai," Suiren beamed with crinkling eyes as she followed closely behind him.

Everyone else followed the other two now that the duel was over, nodding in acknowledgement towards their newest member. In just a few minutes, Suiren had proved to be one of, if not the strongest, shinobi out of all of them.

"I guess I can't ever make my ane-san mad, yeah?" Deidara nervously joked.

"Hey! Isn't anyone going to help me up?" Kisame yelled helplessly as he lay paralyzed on the ground. All he heard was the cringey chortles from Deidara echoing in the air.

* * *

A/N: I searched up Deidara's age and he seems to be 19 when Itachi is 21? Which makes him the same age as Suiren, although she's only older by a couple weeks I would say.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

-the next day

Suiren had spent the rest of the previous day getting to know the other members and learning about the hideout's layout. There were three hallways, with the middle leading to the large hangout area. This included the dining room and kitchen. The left and right hallways were both living quarters for the members, with Kakuzu, Hidan, Deidara, and Sasori living in the left. Kisame, Itachi, and now Suiren lived in the right hall.

Kisame had grudgingly accepted Suiren into the group due to the loss and majority vote, and chose to minimize his interactions with her, although Suiren didn't care. The atmosphere of the group was once again at a standstill, which was good enough, because it would be an exaggeration to say that they were ever in peace.

After the whole team ate breakfast together, everyone went off to do their own thing.

"Suiren, come with me," Itachi ordered as he rose from the table. Suiren happily followed behind as they went outdoors to a clearing. It was deep in the woods, and they passed by many huge monsters along the way.

"Fight me with everything you have," Itachi said once they reached the area. "I want to gauge the strength of your abilities."

Suiren blinked. She hadn't expected him to demand to show her skills the day after she joined. She became nervous as well, because she knew the battle would be a tough one.

"Okay… Here I go…"

Suiren took in a deep breath, then immediately stared up at Itachi, whose eyes were ready for hers. Crimson eyes stared at crimson eyes, both unwilling to waver. To a spectator, it looked as if the two were just staring at each other. However, something deeper was going on within their Mangekyos.

The scenery had changed in the genjutsu world. With a start, Suiren realized that her surroundings were that of Konoha. She was also dressed in the style she wore before she left the village, including the high ponytail. The memories flashed by, revealing how she had spent the past few years in a few minutes. Itachi was searching through her memories. Suiren smiled amusedly.

"Why do you not stop me?" Itachi appeared before her as they watched the scenes together.

"You do not trust me," She replied simply.

"You can never be too cautious around an enemy."

"I don't blame you. You've survived this far because of your wariness."

Itachi stopped the memories at the scene when Suiren left Konoha, instead moving backwards in time now. They were at the time when Suiren had been discovered by Shizune's team, waking up from her coma. Itachi studied the scene, then his eyes flashed, moving even farther back to Suiren's younger years. But what showed next was just black. The two watched the black for a couple of minutes.

"… Is this your doing?"

"No, this was really my life during that time. I _was_ in a coma for around 4 years. I couldn't help but be in the darkness."

"… Hm. So this black will disappear soon then."

"Yes, but… That's enough."

This time Suiren's eyes swirled to pause the memories. Itachi's eyes twitched uncomfortably as he felt her Mangekyo push against his control.

"I don't want you to see the state I was in when I was a child. At least… not yet," Suiren said grimly. "But I can show you one thing to satisfy your skepticism."

She manipulated the setting so that it showed her point of view on the day of the Uchiha Massacre. Itachi was composed as he watched the memory of Shisui asking Suiren to leave the room and find him, then the scene ended with him knocking Suiren out as sealing her in the casket. Suiren paused the memory when it turned black again and turned to Itachi.

"Did that convince you?"

"That was excellent evidence. I'm convinced of your reason. But that doesn't apply to your inner motives."

"…"

Suiren sighed deeply, shaking her head. _How else can I convince this pessimistic man? Ah._

"It's time for me go a bit on the offensive then," Suiren replied with a twinkle in her eye.

Itachi's eyes slightly opened in surprise as Suiren overrode his Mangekyo's jutsu to apply it to him instead. His clothes had changed to his past Anbu outfit, and the scene that played out before them was the time when Danzo had given Itachi his ultimatum.

"… How do you know about this?" Unconsciously, Itachi gripped his hands into fists.

Suiren softly smiled.

"I told you, you don't have to pretend in front of me… I already know the truth."

She changed the scene once more, to the night of the Uchiha Massacre, specifically the time when Itachi had turned back for a split second to look at Sasuke one last time. The tears spilling down his face were evident to the both of them. Itachi's heart felt a pang of sadness when he saw himself.

"Why would you show me this?"

"Because I want you to know that I know who you really are," Suiren firmly answered. "You are Uchiha Itachi, a kind man who sacrificed himself for the sake of the village he loves."

"… People change."

"You took me in because of your promise to Shisui. You are kind, whether you deny or accept it. And it is because I know that, that I wish to stay by your side. I want to become the light to your darkness."

Suiren finished her speech with such fire that Itachi couldn't help but believe in her words.

"Do you still not believe me?" Suiren was surprised at his change in expression.

"… You've convinced me," Itachi finally surrendered to Suiren's sincerity. He still had a lot of questions unanswered, but he knew from Suiren's actions that she wasn't lying.

"Thank goodness…" Suiren sighed in relief.

"But I still don't know your limits, so we will continue our spar," Itachi continued. "And I'm sure the both of us know we won't get anywhere with a genjutsu fight, since it seems like you can keep up with mine. Should we just go the classic way with taijutsu and ninjutsu?"

"Hai," Suiren nodded, and the two immediately transported back to reality.

The two then proceeded to fight regularly. It was hard to see who had the upper hand, because both were able to predict each other's moves with their red eyes and block accordingly. Itachi was greatly surprised to see Suiren use the Gentle Fist technique when fighting hand-to-hand combat but was able to adjust immediately. The ninjutsu part of the fight dragged on as well, since both had similar fighting styles due to being Shisui's students and part of the same clan.

However, in the end, the spar ended with Itachi's victory because he had more battle experience. But Suiren had put up a good fight, keeping the fight going for almost half an hour. Both sat on the grass, panting heavily to catch their breaths. The land was charred from all the fire jutsus that were cast and kunais littered the ground, their grey metals catching the sunlight.

"Shall we head back now?" Suiren was hungry once more, and she was dying to get a drink of cold water.

"Wait."

"Yes?"

"You're still hiding some jutsu from me. What is it?" Itachi peered at Suiren with his all-knowing eyes, causing her to freeze.

"Umm…" _Of course nothing could be hidden Itachi, damn._ "I'll reveal it sometime in the later future, I promise. I only want to use it as a last resort in an emergency. Besides, you didn't show all your moves either."

Suiren had a point there. Itachi hadn't used the Susanoo. He sighed, then stood up as well.

"Fine."

Suiren laughed. "I'm going first. Hurry or I'll leave you behind!"

Itachi shook his head and smirked as he followed the sound of Suiren's disappearing laugh. He walked slowly back to the hideout, going over some thoughts in his head. But the peace didn't last long, because just a minute later he heard a scream not too far away.

"Suiren!" Itachi impulsively shot forward into the trees, but just as he caught up to Suiren he was met with a baffling sight.

"PLANETARY DEVASTATION!" Suiren screamed, and Itachi arrived just in time to watch Suiren crush a life-sized spider with boulders, her left eye flashing purple. She then incinerated the spider and rock altogether with a powerful fire jutsu.

"Phew, never got over that fear of spiders, huh…" Suiren breathed in relief, until she heard a twig on the ground snap.

"So, a spider is considered an emergency?"

Suiren froze at the voice. She slowly turned to see Itachi staring back, wearing a light expression with one eye raised.

"Um, I uh…" She struggled to come up with an explanation and ended up just blinking her eye back to its normal black state in blushing silence.

"You have the walk back to explain how you obtained the Rinnegan," Itachi sternly said as he walked past Suiren in their hideout's direction.

 _Shit, how am I going to explain this one…_ Suiren dejectedly followed behind Itachi.

Itachi was very concerned with Suiren possessing the legendary ocular jutsu said to have been used by the Sage of Six Paths, because he had expected her secret weapon to be the Susanoo, just like him. He thought carefully about Suiren and the probability of her being a traitor in the future. But then her red face popped into his mind, causing his mouth to turn up. Well, she was Shisui's sister, and although she had a quiet demeanor, she was becoming more interesting the more time he spent with her.

 _It's unlike me, but I'll take a chance and allow her to stay near me_ , Itachi decided.

* * *

A/N: So in the end Suiren just told Itachi that she wasn't sure when she received the Rinnegan, but became able to use it after she woke from her coma. It technically isn't a lie because she wasn't sure if she already had it as a child dormant. Just decided to write it here because I thought it would be insignificant to include it in the next chapter.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Weeks passed by after Itachi had finally accepted Suiren, and the two were stuck together ever since. Or rather, it was just Suiren who clinged to Itachi every day, and he who didn't care. The two had naturally fallen into a set routine together and Suiren had fully adjusted to the Akatsuki lifestyle.

Every day at the crack of dawn, Suiren woke up to buy groceries from the village nearby since no one knew her face, therefore eliminating the possibility of the other Akatsuki members being recognized outside. Kakuzu would be waiting by the kitchen countertop until she returned so that he could cook the first meal of the day for everyone. All the members would be gathered at the dining table before he finished due to being attracted to the savory scents floating through the hallways of the hideout.

Breakfast was lively because this was the time where Suiren would become closer to the other members. While meal times were always spent together, they would all part ways to do their own thing after, so Suiren cleverly used the time to socialize. She was the closest to Sasori and Deidara because all three shared an interest in art. Sasori would sometimes talk about new puppet parts and poisons he was creating, and Deidara was like a playful boy who just happened to be her age. With Kakuzu, the two exchanged medical theories, rarely making small talk. Hidan she didn't talk much to because he was too eccentric, but they respected each other. Even Kisame started making conversation with her, and their relationship had become one of shooting sarcastic remarks at each other.

After the hearty meal, Suiren would go outdoors into the forest with Itachi to train until the afternoon. After, sometimes Itachi would go inspect the area around the hideout for potential intruders, Suiren tagging along. Rarely, they would visit a nearby village, listening for information and looking through shops for any interesting items. Suiren loved going on those trips the most because it felt like she was going on a date with Itachi. Granted, the two only walked side by side when walking through the streets, but she felt that it was a symbol of closeness.

But most days, after training the two would just spend time together in Itachi's room. Suiren learned that Itachi enjoyed reading books, although most were about chakra characteristics and jutsus. Itachi would mostly read at his desk, but occasionally he would drag the chair near the window when the weather was nice. On the other hand, Suiren had unintentionally set up her own space in the corner of Itachi's room, in between the desk and bed. There were cushions for her to lean against, and mini towers of books, mostly about medical techniques, closing off the tiny corner.

The duo would silently read for hours until it was time for dinner, immersed in their own worlds. While most people would have been disturbed by the prolonged silence, Suiren did not mind it all. Both of them were not talkers at all, so the silence wasn't awkward. Instead, the air between them was comfortable. They understood each other without having to speak.

Because Naruto and the others were Genin age at this time, the big events that moved the storyline forward had not yet happened. Therefore, activity in the Akatsuki was currently slow, and Itachi rarely had to go out for missions. However, when he did have them Suiren would stay behind because she had vowed to not take part in any Akatsuki missions. She didn't worry at all for Itachi because she knew he would always return back to her safely. After all, his death in the future wouldn't arrive until another 4 years, by teenage Sasuke's hands. Nevertheless, Suiren missed him whenever he left, and would just idly sit in his room most days, waiting for the door to creak open by his hand.

So the routine days where they just read in his room were bliss for her. It was peaceful and soothing, spending each day with the man she loved in constant sight. Suiren would have traded nothing for the idle days. But of course, routines were occasionally broken, and this happened to be one of those days.

Suiren glanced over at Itachi, who was reading a medical book about chakra types and their effects at his desk. Her lips frowned at the title, then her gaze fell onto his hands that were holding the text upright.

"… What is it?"

"Your black nails are chipped."

Itachi closed his book as he glanced at his nails, swiftly checking the corner of the page to memorize his spot.

"Hn, you're right." He opened one of the drawers that were part of the desk and pulled out a case of black nail polish, unscrewing the thin cap.

Suiren rose from her cushion and sat on a stool next to Itachi, watching as he meticulously repainted his nails with a new coat of polish.

"Why does everyone in Akatsuki have black nails anyway?"

"Part of the uniform."

"…"

Suiren softly laughed when she saw Itachi struggle with painting his right hand.

"Let me," She took the brush and gently positioned Itachi's hand, one hand carefully lifting each finger as she painted the layers evenly.

Itachi quietly watched Suiren's face scrunch in concentration as she focused her whole being on his nails. Upon studying her face that closely, he noticed her long eyelashes, naturally curled upwards as if they were fairy's wings. Her skin was smooth without blemish, and lately her cheeks were often slightly tinted a soft baby pink. Her long hair tied in a low ponytail, which he assumed to be a variation of his own style, cascaded over her shoulder like a waterfall.

 _Beautiful_. The word popped into his mind in an instant and disappeared just as quickly as Suiren blew on his fingers.

"There you go," She smiled sweetly, a genuine smile that was saved for Itachi and Itachi alone. Her sharp eyes curved into the shape of a crescent moon.

Itachi examined his hand. The coat of nail polish was smooth, and the lines were crisp.

"You did well," He grunted his thanks.

"Can I paint my nails too?" Suiren asked, her eyes twinkling with anticipation. Itachi found himself lost in her vantablack orbs for a moment. He quickly nodded to shake away the genjutsu-like stare.

Suiren immediately painted her left hand in a matter of minutes, but her movement slowed when she moved to her other hand. The smell was slowly starting to intoxicate the room, causing the both of them to feel nauseous.

"Let me," Itachi grabbed the brush and quickly painted the remaining fingers. Suiren sat in shock as she watched his stoic expression, then smiled. She admired her right hand as Itachi promptly screwed the cap back on and threw the polish back into his desk.

"Thank you, Itachi-kun," She murmured, giving him another one of her special smiles again.

Itachi only nodded, reopening his book to read the page he had left off. Suiren remained gazing at him for a few seconds, then reached over and grabbed her book from the floor. The two spent the remaining hour reading next to each other at the desk until the smells of dinner filled the room.

* * *

A/N: As always, thank you for the reviews! They make me smile when I check them (:


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

-Itachi's POV

Lately, Itachi noticed that he had been unconsciously sneaking glances at Suiren the more time they spent together. Her existence had become a natural part of his daily life, and he realized that he didn't mind her constant company. Not to mention, the burden of his clan's massacre was slightly lifted because she was a survivor. These days, he felt as if every day was interesting, not boring like before.

Today was one of those rare days that the two were out gathering information in a small village. They were currently in a small outdoor restaurant, munching on an order of dangos. The multicolored doughs melted in Itachi's mouth as he savored the flavors in his mouth. The dish came with 5 dango sticks, and he soon heard the sound of a plate being pushed on wood towards him.

Suiren always gave him the last dango nonchalantly as usual, he noted. Her gesture was natural; she didn't look towards him as she slid the plate over, showing she didn't give much thought about it. Itachi expressionlessly took the stick, although he was secretly glad. Popping one sphere into his mouth, he chewed slowly, making the dango last as long as possible. Finally, Suiren turned in his direction, chuckling.

"What?"

"I knew they were your favorite food, but I didn't know you liked them that much," She said, smiling amusedly at him.

Itachi cleared his throat, then abruptly stood up from his seat, pulling his bamboo hat down to cover his face.

"Let's go."

The two walked through the path of stalls, Suiren in front while Itachi was behind, slightly to the side. She casually strolled ahead, one hand wrapped behind, holding onto the other arm. He took a peek at Suiren as they observed the items laid out for sale. Her eyes had a slight twinkle but other than that, her face showed no interest. It was unusual for a teenager her age, but he was glad she wasn't one of those typical girls who liked to go shopping for useless things that only wasted money.

Her eyes did stop for a few seconds longer though, at an accessory stall. An average person wouldn't have noticed the way her eyes slid over the merchandise, but of course nothing escaped Itachi's perception. Her eyes had focused on a set of rings. They were thin and simple, a silver with no design. The couple set was made so that the smaller one fit inside the larger ring, making it look as if the two were originally one ring.

Itachi stared at the rings for a couple of seconds.

"You interested in buying? These are genuine silver," The merchant stated hopefully. "It would look nice for a handsome man like yourself and your beautiful girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," Itachi replied coldly. "Let's leave, Suiren," He called out, but Suiren had disappeared.

"Suiren?" Itachi became alarmed. She usually never left his side. Just then he felt her chakra signature. It was slightly disrupted. He followed it to a hidden alley, hiding in the shadows just in case there were enemies waiting. He peered over the corner to see Suiren surrounded by some idiotic villagers, a small child hiding behind one of them.

"Here's your pay. Go home now!" Barked one of the men, throwing the little boy a piece of hard bread. The child, trembling, immediately grabbed the meager meal and scrambled out of the alley, not noticing Itachi in the shadows.

"This one's not bad. She'll fetch a high price, I guarantee it!" One of the ugly men laughed.

"Hahaha, today's your unlucky day, little girl!" Another one chortled.

"Boss, can't we have fun with her first? She's one of the best we've ever captured!"

"Hmm, you're right… What do you think, girl?" The leader boldly stepped forward, taunting Suiren.

Suiren remained still in her spot, her face dead and devoid of any expression. Itachi now knew the reason for her off chakra. She was annoyed. When the man stepped right in front of her, she slowly lifted her head to stare directly into his eyes. The leader felt shivers go up every individual bone in his spine. The girl was too calm for the situation. In fact, she even seemed slightly amused. But her piercing stare gave off an air of danger.

"You… Tie her up!" The leader yelled, but just as he moved to grab Suiren's arm he felt a sharp pain on his shoulder, then the impact of the ground as he crumpled, twitching uncontrollably. His lackeys stood in shock. One second, their leader was standing. In the next, he had fallen. They wouldn't have known that Suiren had moved at all if it wasn't for her hand that was poised where their leader's shoulder had been, the index and middle finger pointed down.

"A k-kunoichi? R-r-run!" The rest of the members turned in the opposite direction to flee, but before any of them could take their first step, Suiren stabbed all of their pressure points, causing them to crumple into a heap. Her face remained cool as she flipped her hair back over her shoulder, walking towards the alleyway entrance.

"Did I take too long?" She asked into the shadows. The whole scene had taken place in three minutes.

"You didn't kill them."

"I paralyzed them… permanently."

"Hm… nice."

Suiren grinned mischievously at Itachi's approval, this time following behind him as they strolled through the rest of the village. It was almost time for them to return to the hideout, but Itachi showed no signs of turning back in the direction they had come from. Instead, he led the way to a small grassy cliff just outside the town, facing the sea. He gestured to the floor at Suiren, and the two sat side by side, watching the falling sun as it set into the horizon in silence.

"It's beautiful," Suiren breathed as the sky was tinted hues of oranges and pinks, the clouds reflecting their color. Even the sea was stained a powerful red, the water scintillating against the light. The air was cool as well, fresh and crisp.

The two watched in silence for the next couple of minutes. Itachi looked sideways at Suiren. She was sitting with her knees cradled against her chest, her head resting on one hand. She stared dreamily at the sunset, focused on its beauty. The disappearing sun's rays reflected onto her porcelain skin, casting a golden glow. Her raven hair shone as well, but the most endearing part were her eyes. The light reflected her deep orbs, making it seem as if one could be immersed even deeper inside them.

Watching her, for the first time Itachi felt something in his chest. It was faint, but sure. He turned back towards the sea, closing his eyes.

 _Babump._

* * *

A/N: Hello, thank you for the reviews once again! For the person who asked about Suiren losing her ability to watch Itachi with her Sharingan, I wouldn't say that she lost it, but rather she has no use for it anymore since she knows Itachi will return to her without fail. There's also the fact that she doesn't want to be involved in the Akatsuki, so she doesn't want to see the brutal missions that Itachi goes through.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"Itachi-kun, I won't be reading with you today," Suiren exclaimed just as they were about to enter his room. Itachi paused in his steps, turning to gaze at her.

"Sasori asked me to buy some materials for his puppet. I'm the only one who can go without killing innocent people for fun."

"You don't need to tell me everything. It's your life," Itachi replied.

Suiren's face slightly fell but immediately regained its composure. "Oh, well… I'll be going then."

She quickly teleported out of the hallway to the entrance.

"Stupid Itachi," She pouted as she ran through the grass. "I'm doing all this for you!... Just when I thought we became closer…" Suiren sighed, then shook her head. "No, today's gonna be a happy day! He'll regret it later tonight!" She nodded to herself, determined to find the ingredients she would need to bake tonight's surprise.

* * *

Itachi couldn't concentrate as he sat at his desk, trying to read. The room was too silent, a different kind of silent than when Suiren was there. After focusing for a few more minutes, he finally gave up, bringing the book to his bed. He lay in silence, staring at the stone ceiling.

 _Was I too harsh on her?_ He wondered. He sighed deeply, covering his face with the open book. _I'll apologize to her when she gets back._

* * *

Eggs, butter, milk, cream. Suiren ran through the street market searching for the precious items, mentally checking off the list every time she succeeded in purchasing an item. She grew more excited the closer she got to her goal. It would be her first time celebrating Itachi's birthday today.

Smiling brightly, Suiren swung her groceries over her shoulder and returned back to the hideout. Before going inside, she masked her chakra and cast a jutsu that erased her presence. She then confidently walked in towards the middle hall, going to the kitchen. Kakuzu was already there cooking dinner for the night.

"Hello, Kakuzu. I'll be using the kitchen today," Suiren nodded at Kakuzu, who nodded back.

"It's rare to see you here."

"Today I'll be baking something special for Itachi's birthday. Keep it a secret. He thinks I'm on an errand for Sasori."

"Is that so. It's been a long time since anyone's celebrated their birthday here. Except Deidara, but that boy doesn't count," Kakuzu shook his head, then resumed cutting the vegetables.

Suiren giggled, taking out a few mixing bowls and tools from the cabinet. Remembering a certain recipe from her previous life, she mixed the ingredients as if it was second nature to her. The cake dough was quickly made and popped into the oven, and she moved on to the cream while waiting for the cake to finish baking. After it cooled, the circle cake was cut into layers and reassembled with buttercream in between. Then the outside was coated with a light whipped cream and smoothed out. To finish the white cake, Suiren decorated the top with blueberries and syrup and wrote "Happy Birthday, Itachi" in the middle with chocolate icing.

"There! Finished!" She cried out in triumph as the masterpiece lay beautifully on the countertop.

"Just in time," Kakuzu called out. "It's time for dinner."

"Ah, wait," Suiren answered. "I'll stay here. I want to surprise Itachi-kun right after dinner!"

Kakuzu shrugged, not understanding why the girl was so excited about the event, but he set aside her portion of dinner anyways before leaving the area.

"Thank you!"

"Whatever."

Suiren scarfed down the rice and fish combo that Kakuzu cooked, then hid behind the counter with the cake. She pushed a few candles into the cake's smooth surface, then found a comfortable position to sit in wait.

* * *

Itachi was the last to join everyone else at the table. He frowned as he saw the empty seat beside his. Suiren had not returned yet. She had never missed a meal before.

"Hurry up so we can eat, Itachi no danna!" Deidara yelled as he struck his chopsticks into the table.

"Where's Suiren, Sasori?"

Sasori glanced over, bored. "The parts I asked for are hard to find. She's probably still searching through the black market."

The face lines on Itachi's face grew deeper as he sat down in his chair. _You should have gone yourself then, asshole._

The table was quieter than usual, since Suiren wasn't there to make conversation as usual. Everyone seemed to finish dinner faster because there was less talking. Itachi stared at his half-eaten meal.

"I'm going to go look for her," He said as he stood up. Kisame stared incredulously at him.

"She's stronger than me, Itachi. Hell, she's stronger than all of us. I'm sure she's fine. You're not acting like yourself."

(At this moment, Suiren was thinking 'Oh shit, I gotta act fast').

Itachi didn't reply, instead walking out of the dining room. However, just before he exited the area, the lights went dark. His eyes flashed red, searching for the intruder. How could none of them have felt the enemy infiltrating? Had his senses dulled?

What his eyes saw wasn't an enemy though. It was an outline of a girl, illuminated by the candles on the cake she was holding.

"Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Itachi-kun. Happy Birthday to you!" She sang as she placed the cake on the table.

Itachi's eyes obscurely widened as he stood frozen as Suiren sang her way to the table.

"You…?" He didn't know what to say at the sight in front. How many years had it been since someone had celebrated his birthday? He had forgotten the date himself. Flashbacks of his childhood filled his mind.

" _Happy Birthday, my son Itachi!" Mikoto cheered as she set down her homemade cake on the table._

" _You're growing to be a fine man, my son," Fugaku smiled._

" _Happy Birthday, Nii-san!" Sasuke laughed._

"Happy 17th Birthday, Itachi-kun!" Suiren exclaimed.

"What are you waiting there for? Blow out your candles!" Deidara pushed Itachi back down into his chair, shaking him from his daze. He quickly blew out the fires, earning a howl from Hidan.

The lights came back on, and everyone gasped at how pretty Suiren's cake was. It was simple, but delicate looking. Itachi was surprised, because he did not know that Suiren could bake. Suiren evenly cut the cake into even pieces, giving Itachi the first slice with a shy smile.

Itachi hesitantly ate the first bite. The cake melted into his mouth. The buttercream was light and just the right amount of sweetness, and the blueberries added a hint a tartness to balance it out. The cake itself was moist and spongey.

"This cake is amazing, yeah!" Deidara yelled out with a mouthful of cake. "Suiren, make one for my birthday next time!"

Suiren laughed, feeling proud that everyone was enjoying her cake. She glanced over at Itachi, who was silently finishing his slice.

"Happy Birthday, Itachi-kun! I'm sorry I lied to you. Do you like it?"

"You've gotten better at hiding your presence."

"If I didn't, you would have found out!"

"You didn't have to do this for me."

Suiren huffed. "It's a special day! Of course I had to do it for you."

"Is that so… Well… I wanted to apologize for earlier. I was too harsh."

"Ahh… It's fine. What you said wasn't wrong. I'm sorry if I was a bother to you. I'll try to stay out of your way now."

"No," Itachi gazed at her. "You don't have to do that. I don't mind if you tell me everything."

"I see. I'll do that then," Suiren smiled nonchalantly, although she was inwardly relieved.

"Suiren! I want a second slice!" Deidara yelled.

Suiren rolled her eyes. "I better go to him before he explodes our hideout for cake," She said as she stood to leave. But before she could take her first step, a hand grabbed onto her wrist.

"… Thank you, Suiren," Itachi said sincerely, gazing into her eyes.

Suiren tilted her head, surprised at his response. "I'm glad you like it."

"… I do."

Suiren's lips turned into a small smile. "We'll celebrate it every year then."

Itachi felt a warm sensation in his chest as he watched Suiren prevent everyone from fighting over the last slice of cake.

"Every year, huh…" He mumbled to himself. He supposed he could get used to it.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

After Itachi's surprise birthday party, everything went back to normal. Both continued each day with their regular routines, spending the whole day together training and reading. One thing Suiren noticed, though, was that Itachi seemed to become gentler as the days went by. While he still spoke and acted the same, something about his demeanor was softer. Suiren was glad to see the subtle change. He didn't seem as stressed or unhappy as before. She wondered if she was getting closer to accomplishing her goal.

The hot summer had finally passed, the winds of autumn closing in on the forest. The leaves of the many trees surrounding the hideout had transformed into shades of reds, oranges, and yellows. From a distance, the forest looked like it was on fire, covered by the colored leaves. Today, there just happened to be a fall festival in one of the villages.

"Itachi-kun, can we please go to the festival?" Suiren casually asked as she ran her fingers over a particularly red leaf.

"No. It's too risky," Itachi immediately replied.

"We can go at night. No one will notice if we wear the festival masks."

"Hah… Just for a few hours…"

"Yay! I can't wait!"

Itachi had initially started sighing, but it broke off into a tight smile at Suiren's obvious excitement. He supposed he could spoil her once in a while. Otherwise, Shisui would scold him too much in the afterlife for not treating his precious sister properly. She had also recently started showing a bit more emotion than usual, so perhaps bringing her out would further let her break out of her shell.

The nighttime arrived in a blink of an eye, and Itachi heard a knock on his door the moment the sun descended for the day.

"Time to leave!"

"Hn."

To remain inconspicuous, both were wearing hooded cloaks that could passed off as outerwear for the cold night. Suiren passed Itachi a kitty mask as she strapped a kitsune mask onto her face. She chuckled softly at Itachi's adorable face.

"What?"

"Nothing, just remembered something for a second there," Suiren quickly turned around, earning a strange stare from Itachi. The only other time he had worn anything related to a kitty was that headband when he was a child. There was no way Suiren could know.

"We're here." Suiren looked around in amazement. She had never gone to festivals in Japan, because she had no lover to go with, and the rest of her girl friends always went with their boyfriends. So her first time experiencing an authentic festival was in the Naruto world. Her eyes sparkled at all the stalls set up and the sight of civilians walking around with yukatas on.

Suiren couldn't help but explore all of the available vendors. The street was split so that all food related vendors were on the right side, with all the game booths standing on the opposite side. She moved in zigzag movements to switch from each side, weaving through the huge crowd of people. She rarely stayed at one stall longer than a few seconds because the next one had already caught her eyes. Just as Suiren was about to make a beeline towards the next booth in sight, a hand grabbed her wrist.

"Suiren, wait. You'll get lost," Itachi successfully stopped Suiren before he completely lost sight of her 157 cm height. He sighed in relief and exasperation.

"Ah, sorry… I was too excited…"

Itachi's expression softened at her guilty face. "It's alright. Just stay by my side."

Suiren nodded. Suddenly, she had a bold idea. She shook her wrist out of Itachi's grasp, instead grabbing onto his hand.

"If we go like this, we won't get lost."

Suiren immediately spun around, sliding her eye mask down farther to hide her face, but Itachi could still see the shades of pink at the sides of her face. His eyes held a sparkle of amusement, but he didn't take his hand back, instead allowing Suiren to guide him around.

The two walked through the crowd, hand in hand the whole time. Along the way, a candy apple was bought for Suiren and dangos were bought for Itachi. The two Uchihas stopped for a moment to rest and finish their snacks. Suiren was conscious of her hand the whole time, but forced herself to not be too conscious over it. _Calm down, you promised yourself to not expect anything_ , she reprimanded herself. _Just be thankful for being able to spend time with him like this._

It was now late at night, and almost time for the fireworks to go off.

"Itachi-kun, can we do one more thing before we leave?" Suiren asked tentatively.

"What is it?"

"I want to ride on the boats to watch the fireworks."

"Alright."

The two walked down to the lake dock, where they were allowed to borrow a small boat to row across the water. They finally let go of each other's hands after they sat down, silently waiting for the star-filled sky to be filled with bursts of light. The other boats were full of couples cuddling together, but Itachi and Suiren sat silently on opposite ends of the boat. It was one of their comfortable silences, where just having each other's presence was enough. They stayed that way for a few minutes, until Suiren finally broke the quiet atmosphere.

"Ne, Itachi-kun…"

"Yes, Suiren?"

"Am I a burden to you?" Suiren asked seriously, surprising Itachi.

"Why do you suddenly ask?"

"It's been on my mind for a while. If you took me in just because of Shisui's promise then…"

"…"

"…"

"I don't mind your presence."

Suiren looked relieved. "So I can stay by your side forever then?"

"… If you decide to do so."

"Is that so… Thank you."

The two returned to stargazing silently for a few more minutes. Someone on the dock had started counting down for the fireworks show.

"Itachi-kun," Suiren started once more.

"Hn."

"Are you happy right now?"

"… I don't know."

"I see. Looks like I still have to work on that," Just as Suiren finished her sentence, a crackle was heard and the sky was immediately illuminated with sparkles. Suiren's attention returned to the sky, gasping in awe. She didn't notice Itachi's gaze on her the whole time.

Itachi watched Suiren as she watched the fireworks burst loudly in the sky. Unconsciously, a genuine smile formed on his lips. He knew now that he held some degree of affection for this girl. But he wasn't sure if he viewed her as a replacement for Sasuke or as a woman, which made him uneasy. It wasn't like him to have feelings and be indecisive.

Itachi didn't expect it when Suiren turned to face him before the last of the fireworks had gone out. Suiren was surprised as well. She had turned to check if Itachi was enjoying the show, and instead was hit with an unexpected smile on his usually expressionless face. It was gone before she could even blink, but she knew she had seen it for sure. It was a sincere one, although he had hidden it promptly.

"It's time to leave," Itachi nonchalantly said as he quickly rowed them back to the shore. He stepped onto the grass first, lending out his hand for Suiren to grab onto.

The two walked silently back to the hideout, Suiren following behind Itachi. A thought suddenly occurred to her. There was no way Itachi didn't realize her feelings with his all-seeing eyes. Which meant that he also knew that she was respecting his personal space because she had never tried to force their relationship. He understood that she sincerely wanted to take care of him by his side.

Suiren smiled as she realized. _Oh, Itachi, being a gentleman by pretending to not realize anything. I guess I won't have anything to lose if I tell him this._

Itachi felt Suiren's hand slide into his. He stopped walking, turning to face her.

"Itachi-kun."

"What is it?"

"You know that I love you, don't you?"

Itachi paused. "… Is that so?"

Suiren snickered. "Stop feigning. My observation skills are on par with yours. I know you knew. There's nothing that can be hidden from your eyes."

"… Yes, I knew."

"As long as you know," Suiren laughed mesmerizingly before sliding her hand out of Itachi's hand and skipping into the woods.

Itachi was left helplessly alone as all he could do was follow in the direction Suiren left off.

* * *

A/N: Hello thank you for reading up to this chapter! School is getting more hectic but I'll try my best to continue writing! Although I admit that I'm stuck at a certain spot. As for the review asking whether Kushina is Suiren's mother, the answer is no. I'm just going to say that there might have been a few people of the Uzumaki Clan alive, just like how Karin and Nagato were survivors. Thanks for reading once again and see you next time!


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

After the night of the autumn festival, Suiren acted exactly the same as usual, to Itachi's relief. It was as if her confession had never happened. Itachi was glad things hadn't become awkward, but at the same time he wasn't sure how to feel with the lack of change. Suiren was slowly starting to wedge herself into his heart, whether he liked it or not.

Months had passed, and finally the fall season was shifting to winter. Clouds covered the sky in huge billows and the wind was starting to become piercingly cold instead of cool. Suiren sneezed as she dodged Itachi's barrage of shuriken. She figured she had a slight cold, but she could still function properly.

"Your moves are sloppy," Itachi frowned seeing Suiren panting more than usual, face flushed. "Focus."

Suiren nodded, taking a defensive stance once again. But her world started spinning as she switched positions in the air to escape the thrown kunais, causing her to stumble on her landing.

Itachi sighed. "Let's stop for today. You're clearly not feeling well enough."

"Sorry," Suiren mumbled, following behind Itachi as they walked back to the cliff. She shivered as the cold wind penetrated her cloak.

Itachi glanced at her. "Drink some warm tea before you come to my room," He ordered as he jumped down from the edge.

Suiren barely registered what Itachi said before he disappeared down below. The world was spinning, and she didn't realize that it was her who was swinging on her feet. She tried to focus chakra on the bottom of her soles, but she slipped before she could get a grasp on the ground, her vision turning dark.

Itachi's eyes widened in shock as he saw Suiren plummet towards the ground headfirst. He immediately focused chakra to his feet, climbing up the dirt walls to catch her safely in his arms. He landed with both knees bent, Suiren safely tucked into his cloak sleeves. Even through the fabric, he could feel her burning skin. There was no point in touching her forehead when her temperature was obviously much too high. Standing, he shot into the hideout to his room.

"Hey, Itachi, you're back ear-"

"Medicine." Itachi interrupted Kisame before he could even finish his sentence, kicking his door open with his foot. His eyes were only on Suiren as he lay her in his bed, covering her with his blankets. Suiren looked like a corpse with her shallow breathing and pale face. Itachi got to work immediately, wiping her face with a cold towel. Fear filled his eyes at the unexpected situation. She had been fine just the day before.

Itachi raised Suiren's hot hand, bringing it to his cheek before closing his eyes.

"Idiot," He whispered.

* * *

Suiren's consciousness slowly returned to her as she became aware of a cooling sensation on her face. The sensation lifted as her eyelids fluttered, slowly opening to reveal a dirt ceiling.

"You're awake," Itachi placed the wet towel back on her forehead as she blinked at him, registering what he said.

"What happened?" Suiren asked as she painstakingly tried to sit up, but Itachi pushed her back down.

"You fainted from high fever. It's going down now, but it's still a bit high. You should stay in bed."

"Ah…" Suiren nodded knowingly.

Itachi's lips formed a grim line as he saw her act naturally. "Are you hiding something from me? Are you suffering from some sickness?"

Suiren wanted to laugh. _You're the one who's hiding the illness from me._

"No no, I'm not sick," She nonchalantly waved her hand. "I just have a very weak immune system. Consequences of being stuck in a closed room for almost my whole childhood. My body isn't used to all the germs flying around in the world. I usually become sick easily, especially during season changes if I'm not careful."

Itachi nodded, satisfied with her response, although the part about her being kept in a room bothered him. Suiren would occasionally blurt out hints about the childhood she wasn't ready to tell him about, and he was starting to understand why, since none of her clues were pleasant. But right now, he had to focus on nursing her back to health.

Itachi walked out for a few minutes, coming back with a bowl of vegetable porridge and a glass of lemon water. He helped Suiren sit up, propping her back up with pillows. Then he placed the tray onto her lap, sitting back to make sure she finished everything.

Suiren was still a bit weak, and she had a bit of a headache. She tried the pick up the spoon, but the cold metal felt like a needle piercing into her skin. A shiver ran up from her arm through her whole body, causing her to drop the utensil. Embarrassed, she tried to pick up the spoon again, but it was swiped before her hand reached it.

Itachi wordlessly plunged the spoon into the bowl, scooping up the rice and bringing it to her mouth. Suiren was initially surprised, but when she saw his cool eyes, she knew he was only helping her as a teammate, so she graciously accepted the gesture. He fed her until the last drop of porridge was eaten, then helped lift the glass of water to her lips until she had drunk the whole thing. He then fed her flu medicine from Sasori and tucked her back into his bed.

"Rest for the day," He said as he stood up to leave.

Suiren watched as he walked towards the door. "Thank you, Itachi-kun," She breathed almost inaudibly, but he had heard.

Itachi silently closed the door, walking to the kitchen to wash the bowl and cup. Along the way, he bumped into Kisame.

"She doin' okay?" Kisame asked.

"Yes." Itachi replied.

"You surprised me there," Kisame stated, his eyes studying Itachi in interest. "I've never seen you panic for anyone."

Itachi stared back coolly. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying to keep her close. You don't seem as tired and lonely these days," Kisame patted Itachi's shoulder before returning to his room.

Itachi pondered over Kisame's words as he rinsed the dishes in the sink. He hadn't realized that he had changed at all. It was most definitely due to Suiren's presence. And he did smile more when they were together.

He… liked Suiren, to some degree. That, he could acknowledge. But he knew that he shouldn't. She deserved better. He wondered when he should tell her of his plans to die by his little brother's hand. Or who knows, maybe his illness would take his life before that day. Either way, they wouldn't have much time together. All that was left for her was heartbreak. It would be better for the both of them if nothing happened.

 _It's alright_ , he believed. _You've sacrificed almost everything once a long time ago. You can easily give up this as well_. Itachi turned off the running water, sighing in the process.

* * *

Suiren lay still in Itachi's bed, staring at the empty ceiling. It was a good thing she had gotten sick, because it had made her remember that Itachi was suffering from a sickness. His disease was the reason she had brushed up on her medical ninjutsu for the past couple of years. Thankfully, she knew exactly what sort of illness it was, and how to cure it. At least he seemed careful about accelerating the disease, considering how he refrained from using the Mangekyo Sharingan during training. Although, she did notice that his eyesight had become slightly worse throughout the past few months.

"Seems like I still have a bit of time to watch over his sickness' progression," She thought aloud as she crossed her arms behind her head.

However, she did not realize her fears would come true soon enough.

* * *

A/N: Hello everyone I am so sorry for uploading late finals are coming up so my mind has been elsewhere... I can't believe I forgot to upload a chapter last week. Sorry again and I will be posting this week's chapter shortly!


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

-January

"I'll be back in 3 days' time," Itachi spoke as he slid his arms through the sleeves of his Akatsuki cloak.

Suiren nodded. "Stay safe," She called out as Itachi disappeared into the trees. After his figure had fully disappeared, she turned around to back inside with a sigh. It would be a long 3 days.

The first day she accompanied Sasori as he assembled a new puppet. She watched interestedly as he explained how he created his human puppets, and the mechanics of his weapons to make them more deadly.

On the second day, she hung out with Deidara making clay figurines, although they fought for quite some time before making them because he kept insisting on putting explosives in them.

On the third day, she waited patiently in Itachi's room for him. To pass the time, she dusted his room, replaced the bedsheets, and organized their piles of books neatly. However, the familiar sound of the creaking door hadn't sounded by the time dinner rolled around, making Suiren frown. He would usually be back before dinner time.

Suiren returned back to his room after the meal, but Itachi still didn't return by midnight. She started to pace around the room nervously. She never worried when he went off on his missions because she knew he would return alive. He would always return before the promised time with no injuries.

After impatiently sitting around for 2 more hours, Suiren couldn't wait anymore and set out into the forest to search for him herself. The sky was dark, causing the forest ground to be pitch black, so she activated her Sharingan to catch any extra movement while running.

It wasn't long before a figure thankfully caught her eye. Suiren squinted in the body's direction, sighing in relief when she recognized Itachi's face. But her relief was short-lived when she noticed his hunched figure and slowed movements.

"Itachi!" She cried as she sprang towards him in less than a second. She gasped in fear when she saw his full appearance. His cloak was torn and his whole body was littered with small cuts. There were also dried blood stains near his eyes.

"Suiren…?" Itachi asked confusedly, before suddenly coughing up blood. The relief at seeing her caused his consciousness to give out, and Suiren caught him before he hit the dirt.

"Itachi? Itachi, don't worry, I've got you. You're safe now," Suiren muttered worriedly as she pulled him over her back. She formed her hands into multiple seals, teleporting the both of them back to Itachi's bedroom. She carefully lay the unconscious Itachi in his bed, gently maneuvering his body to remove the shredded cloak before tucking him into the sheets.

She wet a towel at the sink and wiped his arms and face to get rid of the dried blood and dirt. After making sure his wounds were clean, she placed her hands over all of his cuts, emitting a green glow. In just a minute, his skin was spotless once again. She breathed a sigh of relief when his external appearance became back to normal, then moved her hand over his heart, checking for any internal problems.

It was as she had expected. The blood from his eyes and his coughing up blood had made her suspect that his disease was finally kicking in. He had most likely had an attack during the mission, causing it to become more difficult. His body was starting to have a fever as well, most likely from the shock and fatigue building up. Suiren sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time this past week. She lay a new wet towel on Itachi's forehead, then knelt down beside the bed to watch over his sleeping face.

* * *

It was late afternoon when he woke. Itachi's eyes shot open as he surveyed his surroundings. When he realized he was in his own room, his accelerated heartbeat returned back to its calm rhythm. He reached a hand to his forehead, coming in contact with a now lukewarm towel. He felt a shift to his right side and looked over. When he caught sight of Suiren slowly stirring, his gaze softened, a warm feeling filling his heart. Memories of Suiren coming to pick him up the night before surfaced in his mind, and the warm feeling spread through his entire body.

Suiren blinked, then her gaze grew sharp as she realized that Itachi had woken.

"You're awake," She breathed out, and Itachi responded with a small nod. She reached out her hand towards his forehead, bringing the other to her own, and compared their temperatures for a few seconds. Nodding, she brought down her hands.

"Your fever has gone down, but you still need to rest."

"Okay. I'm alright now. You should go rest as well."

Itachi waited for Suiren to leave, but she showed no signs of moving. He looked at her. Her mouth was twitching as if she was contemplating on whether to say something or not.

"What is it?" He asked.

"… You can't hide it from me, Itachi," Suiren declared.

Itachi halted. "I'm not hiding anything from you."

"I know you're sick!" Suiren talked back. Her dark eyes locked contact with his, their intensity forcing him to stare back. The two stayed in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Itachi conceded.

"How did you find out?"

"I know everything there is to know about medical ninjutsu. And I told you this before. As Shisui's sibling, I know everything about you."

Itachi stayed silent. This girl always found a way to surprise him. He supposed there was no point playing dumb in front of her. But he would still keep his future plans a secret.

"Then you should know that I'm slowly dying as well. There's no cure for this sickness. I've been elongating my life with harsh medicine. Even then, I'm not sure how long I'll last. And I'm going blind as well from overusing my Mangekyo Sharingan."

 _Liar_. Suiren held herself back before she exposed Itachi's lie. She supposed she could play dumb for the time being.

"You're not going to die, Itachi-kun," She retorted.

Itachi raised his eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"

"Because I'm the only one who can cure you."

Itachi couldn't believe what he was hearing. "… Are you sure?"

"Yes," Suiren replied, a knowing smile forming on her lips. "After all, I dedicated a large part of my life and wish to studying medicine, all in order to heal one person."


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"Wish?" Itachi didn't miss that part of her statement.

Suiren tilted her head slightly, her eyes mysterious. "That's right." Her stare made Itachi understand that she didn't want him asking any further.

"So, what's wrong with me?" He changed the subject.

Suiren latched onto his question, thankful for his obvious action. "You tried to implant my brother's eye a long time ago, didn't you?" She asked gently.

Itachi paused, then nodded. It had been a fatal mistake. He checked Suiren's expression as he bowed his head. Surprisingly, she didn't hold any distaste for him.

"My brother gave it to you, so the eye belonged to you," She comforted him, noticing his unease. "That aside, your body ended up rejecting the organ, so my diagnosis is that you have a disease relating to chakra. Your body has been poisoned because Shisui's chakra didn't match with yours, so your body is slowly dying because chakra is essential to our body's spirit and energy. The poison from the chakra has also been infused into your blood. I noticed that your chakra reserves have also been decreasing as another expected effect."

Itachi was surprised that Suiren was able to figure out what he was suffering from. Even a regular medical shinobi would have had to take many blood samples from him to analyze what was wrong, and it would have taken maybe months to find an answer. However, Suiren had diagnosed his disease in the just a minute, by just inspecting his body with her chakra.

Suiren continued. "Your body is also becoming weaker because of your overuse of the Magenkyo Sharingan. Not to mention your eyesight is worsening at a fast pace. You already have some trouble seeing my face clearly, don't you?" She impulsively reached her hand to Itachi's face, tracing her finger near the edge of his eye. Itachi stared into her sorrowful face.

"It isn't that bad yet. My eyesight just started to noticeably diminish a few months ago."

Suiren blinked when she heard his voice, and quickly removed her hand from his face.

"You should really take care of your health a bit more. With those two factors in play, your body is deteriorating at an alarming pace. It scared me a bit when I inspected you. Would you have never told me if I never found out?" She asked carefully, testing for his answer.

"I would have told you," Itachi replied almost immediately, surprising himself. "Just at… a later time." _A much later time._

"I see," Suiren smiled wryly. She knew the meaning of his words. "Well, it's a good thing that I'm here. You won't have to suffer anymore."

Itachi raised his eyebrow. "Can you really heal me illness?" He asked skeptically. The doctor had told him nothing could be done in the past.

"Yes. I'm the only one who can, actually," Suiren gave him an encouraging grin. "I'll start with your eyes. Can you sit up for me?"

Itachi complied to her question, scooting up the bed so that his back could lean against the headboard. Suiren tucked a pillow in between his back and the board.

"You're going to be sitting in this position for a while, so try to get comfortable," She said as she sat cross-legged right in front of Itachi.

"Could you close your eyes for me?"

"Hn."

"Alright." Suiren raised her glowing hand to Itachi's left eye, resting her fingertips over his closed eyelid.

Itachi shuddered slightly as he felt a warm sensation flow through his eye. He could feel Suiren's chakra as it gently probed his nerves. It wasn't painful at all, but rather soothing. His eye had still been throbbing earlier from the Mangekyo Sharingan's aftereffects, but the pain had settled down in a matter of minutes. He cautiously opened his right eye to spy on Suiren. She sat rigidly, still as a rock with her eyes closed as she concentrated. Itachi's lips curved at the sight of the girl working diligently.

After a little over half an hour, Suiren moved her finger to Itachi's other eye, closing her eyes again. Her chakra swept over his cornea and retina and dived deeper to the nerves behind, and eventually to those connecting to his brain. It was fascinating to be able to feel the system in which the nerves worked in. Her chakra gently probed the nerve pathways, searching for any broken links, healing them when she found them. A human's body was so complex though. Especially with those who had the Sharingan. Their eyes were more complicated to regular ones. It would take a while to heal everything.

"That'll be enough for the eyes for now," Suiren panted slightly as she removed her hand from Itachi's face. Itachi blinked opened his eyes, surveying his surroundings.

"There doesn't seem to be a difference in my eyesight," He commented, slightly disappointed.

"It's only the first session," Suiren scolded. "I promise you'll see a difference soon. Now place both of your hands in mine."

Itachi did what she asked. Suiren's hands immediately glowed green once again. He could feel her chakra working its way into his body. Her chakra induced a warm feeling, as usual, causing him to relax.

"What are you doing?" He asked, curious.

"You were poisoned by Shisui's chakra, so who best be able to negate that but his blood-related sibling?" Suiren briefly looked up to mischievously smile at him. "I'm taking your chakra from one hand, circulating it through my body, and then depositing it back into your system while incorporating medical ninjutsu at the same time. This way, my chakra will cleanse your blood of Shisui's, and your chakra will also develop the method to become immune to his chakra's effects in your blood."

Itachi was shocked at her explanation. "Are you saying that you can fully cure me?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Suiren affirmed. "Although it will take a long time since you've been suffering from it for so long. I would say that it would take a few months with sessions every day."

"… Thank you Suiren," Itachi awkwardly replied. He didn't know what else to say. His heart was filled once again with a warm sensation. It was a different kind of warm than Suiren's chakra. It was tender and amiable.

Suiren shook her head. "I told you before, everything I do is for you," She murmured smoothly, slipping back to her concentration mode. Itachi watched her with a gentle expression, although she didn't notice.

* * *

Two hours later, Suiren finally stirred.

"That should be good enough for today," She triumphantly muttered as her hands stopped glowing green. She panted again, wiping her sweaty forehead. "How are you feeling, Itachi-kun?"

"Not much different, but my body does feel a bit lighter," He replied.

"I expected. You'll feel a definite change in about a week, although it will be small. We'll have these sessions once a day, every d-"

Suiren swayed to the side as she removed her hands from Itachi's and tried to stand up. Itachi immediately grabbed her hands again to steady her.

"Suiren? What's wrong?" He asked, alarmed.

Suiren shook her head and yawned. "I'm alright. Medical jutsu just takes up a lot of chakra, and it's been a while since I've healed anyone, so I might have used a bit too much."

Suiren tried to stand up from the bed again, but the world spun causing her to slip again, this time in Itachi's direction. Itachi caught Suiren in his arms as she passed out. Gazing at her sleeping expression, he held her tighter, letting her head rest on his chest.

"Just for a little bit," He whispered to no one, laying back down on his back with Suiren in his embrace. He closed his eyes and fell into a peaceful, deep sleep.

* * *

A/N: Hello everyone, I am so sorry for being late with my updates. The past few weeks have been very hectic. I will try my best to upload weekly, but it might be difficult because I've been on a writer's block for a pretty long time now... However, I do promise that I will finish this story no matter what! I will also be uploading an extra chapter to make up for the past few weeks. Enjoy!


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Itachi stayed bedridden for about a week due to his overuse of the Mangekyo Sharingan. He felt good as new when the week was up, thanks to Suiren's amazing medical ninjutsu. Suiren stayed by his side the whole time, nursing him back to health. She had given him healing sessions every day for the past month and a half.

It was now mid-February, and Itachi was feeling better than usual. His eyesight had slightly cleared, and his eyes didn't feel so strained anymore. His body had felt the most improvement though. He had stopped coughing blood about a month in, and his body didn't feel as sluggish anymore. He could actually feel his body being cleansed by Suiren's chakra, and now every week his body felt lighter than it had in the past.

Suiren had become better at regulating her chakra, so she didn't pass out as much anymore. However, there were still some sessions where she became impatient because she wanted to heal Itachi even a day faster, so she would carelessly pump out her chakra. This would result in her depleting her chakra for the day, and of course making her faint in the process. Itachi always sighed on her careless days. But he secretly didn't mind, because he knew she was putting in her all for his sake. Instead, on those days he would take her into his arms again, and they would sleep together until the sun rose again.

Today happened to be one of those days. Itachi woke first, slowly blinking the sleep away from his eyes. He unconsciously tried to shift his stiff body but realized he couldn't. Remembering that Suiren was with him, he immediately stopped struggling so that she wouldn't wake. Looking down, he noticed that Suiren had somehow moved on top of him. Her arms were wrapped around his waist tightly, her left cheek pressed onto his chest. Her long hair was swept to the side, the ends hanging over the edge of the bed.

The sight of her sleeping face against him and the soft, rhythmic sounds of her exhales brought a gentle smile to Itachi's face. He stared at her for a couple minutes before slowly raising his hand towards her. He stroked her raven black hair, sifting his fingers through the silky strands to reveal the hidden red streaks. Then he gingerly brought his hand to Suiren's face, stroking her facial features. His thumb and index finger traced her nose and brow bone, then the area under her eyes. Her long lashes cast a small shadow over her lids.

Watching her like this, Itachi could feel his heart overflow. At that moment, he acknowledged that Suiren had become an irreplaceable part of his of life. He had a flashback to the time Shisui had asked him a random question.

" _Hey, Itachi, do you have anyone you like?" Shisui asked. Itachi glanced at him in confusion. It was an unexpected question._

" _I don't have time for love."_

" _So that's a no for now. Well, that's good," Shisui gave a small chuckle. Itachi raised his eyebrow, but Shisui evaded his questioning look and switched the topic._

Itachi smirked slightly as the memory resurfaced. It seemed like his best friend was still taking care of him, even in death. He returned to stroking Suiren's cheek, a gaze of endearment filling his eyes. But it was quickly replaced with sorrow.

He had to hold himself back, for the sake of his future plans. Even if he did tell Suiren of his feelings, she would only be heartbroken a couple of years later with his death by Sasuke, and he didn't want to hurt her. He wanted Suiren to find happiness, and she deserved more than someone like him who was stained with the blood of an entire clan.

The big rise of his chest that accompanied his sigh caused Suiren to stir from her slumber. Itachi's thoughts were interrupted as he heard a small grunt, and then a shuffling as Suiren slightly lifted her cheek from his torso. She repositioned her face, this time resting her chin on him as she stared at him through sleep-filled eyes. Her eyes changed into a different color every time she blinked. Red, then purple, then back to black, much to Itachi's amusement. Her half-open and unfocused eyes that struggled to keep eye contact with him made him notice that she wasn't fully conscious yet.

"G'morn… Ita… kun…" She trailed off as her eyes involuntarily closed again and her face fell to the side, indicating that she had fallen back asleep. Soon, the room was filled with the sounds her shallow breathing. Itachi's eyes crinkled as he watched her sleep soundly. Suiren really wasn't a morning person.

* * *

Suiren became aware of a warm, soft thing under her. It couldn't have been a pillow, because the thing her arms was wrapped around was sturdier. She propped herself up by positioning her hands on top of the surface, her eyes still closed. Balancing her body on one arm, she rubbed her eyes, shaking away the sleep. Finally, she detached her closed lids, to find her upper body on top of a torso. Confused and not fully conscious, her gaze followed the torso and up the neck until her eyes landed on a pair of obsidian eyes staring straight back at her.

"Ah?!" Suiren started as she impulsively bounced backwards. She would have fallen off the bed and hit her head if Itachi hadn't grabbed her wrists, holding her in place.

Itachi swiftly pulled Suiren so that there was only a faint distance in between them. The two stared at each in silence, Itachi cool while Suiren had her eyes wide open. In the quiet room, he could literally hear her rapid heartbeats. Itachi leaned forward so that his mouth was next to Suiren's left ear.

"Careful," He whispered.

Suiren blushed immediately. Itachi felt like teasing her when he saw the scarlet on her cheeks, but he held himself back. No matter how many times they slept together, she would still end up blushing the next morning.

"W-what time is it?" Suiren stuttered out.

"The sun just began rising."

"It's my turn to buy groceries today…" Suiren rapidly escaped from Itachi's grip and slid off the bed, landing with a small thud. She briskly walked to her room to wash up and change clothes. But as she walked out her bedroom door, she saw that Itachi was waiting outside it.

"I'll go with you," He said, his smirk hidden inside his collar. Suiren had a nonchalant expression on her face, but he could still see traces of pink on her cheeks and the slight panic in her eyes.

He promptly turned around, leading the way outside of the hideout. Suiren could do nothing but follow behind him in embarrassed silence.


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The two walked side by side in between the stalls of fresh produce. Of course, Itachi had his head covered by his bamboo hat with the bell to avoid the civilians' eyes. But today, his hat was to serve an extra purpose.

Itachi discreetly glanced at Suiren multiple times as she studied the vegetables and picked out the freshest ones. He noticed that her eyes were glued to the produce, determined to not make eye contact with him, much to his amusement. He was just about to leave to give her some space, but he noticed the eyes of the stall's merchant. It was a young teenage boy around their age, and it was obvious that he had a crush on Suiren, with the way his eyes followed her movements dreamily.

Itachi raised his eyebrows in discontent as the boy hastily packed more vegetables into Suiren's bag for the same price. Suiren just accepted the gesture with a small smile, turning away immediately after to move on to the next stand. Every counter that had a young man as a host ended up with Suiren receiving more items than she had paid for. Seeing them all giggle in content made Itachi cringe and feel an unknown emotion inside. Thankfully, Suiren didn't seem to notice any of their attempts.

"Does this always happen every morning?" He asked Suiren as they walked to the other side of the market to buy meats.

"Does what always happen?" Suiren curiously asked.

"You receiving gifts from those idiotic men."

"Oh, that? They're just promoting their store by giving me more samples, and as a thank you for being a regular customer."

"…"

Itachi couldn't believe what he was hearing. Had this girl always been this dense? The frustration in his heart grew more intense, and he knew he needed to cool off.

"… I'm going to buy some dango," He muttered as he disappeared into the crowd.

"Eating it so early in the morning isn't healthy…" Suiren turned around to face him, but he had already gone. _What has gotten into him?_ Sighing, she turned back to ask the old grandma to wrap a few fish for Kisame's breakfast. All that was left to buy was the meat now. Grabbing her groceries, Suiren proceeded to shift to the meat section, but was interrupted by a voice she dreaded.

"I found you again this morning, my beautiful bride!" The voice rang out.

Suiren groaned inwardly. It was actually perfect timing that Itachi had left. She slowly turned around to face the young man. The boy was 1 year older than her, and his face was pretty decent looking as well, but his arrogance and pushy personality overrode his looks.

"I am sure I have already told you many times that I don't want to be your bride, and to leave me alone, Eito-san," Suiren said flatly.

"And I'm here to tell you to stop playing hard to get, Suiren," Eito responded back, not fazed by her unfriendliness. He extended his hand towards her. "I fell for you immediately the moment I saw you in a morning just like this many months ago, and since then I've been telling you to become my bride. If you marry me, I can give you whatever you want!"

Suiren gave an exasperated sigh. "I already told you that I don't want to marry you. Stop being delusional and never come into my sight again," She said as she turned back around to walk away.

Eito's eye twitched as he retracted his ignored arm. His fake smile almost broke, but he retained his composure. This was the first time that any girl had rejected him so strongly. That just meant it would be more fun to capture such a stubborn girl.

"Wait," He shouted as he grabbed Suiren's arm, gripping her wrist tightly so that she couldn't escape. Suiren winced slightly before turning back to stare at him. There was no amity left in her eyes, causing a small shiver to run down his back, but he held on.

"I'm handsome, rich, and the next successor of this village. I, who has everything, wants to marry you. You can live a luxurious life if you be with me. What do you not like about me?" He slightly threatened through gritted teeth.

Suiren just stared blankly at him. _You're not Itachi_. "Everything," She said simply.

"You…!" Eito's eyes bulged as he heard her words. "Why!"

"I already have someone I love. Satisfied?" Suiren icily retorted as she flung his hand away from her wrist.

Eito was breathing heavily, his face red. This was the first time that he had not been able to get something that he desired. His hands gripped into two fists, clenching and unclenching. If he couldn't have something, then he would rather destroy it. But he couldn't just destroy her so easily. He would make her suffer for humiliating him like this. He composed his face again.

"Fine, I'll leave you alone after today if you agree to one thing," He unexpectedly said.

Suiren looked at him skeptically, then sighed. Did this mere civilian think he could actually do something to her? "Fine."

Eito grinned cunningly. "Meet me in the forest at the village's exit in 10 minutes. I just want to say something without anyone listening, and then I'll let you go."

"Mm."

Suiren went back to the meat stand as if her encounter with him had never happened, intently looking over the items. Seeing her treat him like the air made Eito's anger rise once again. He quickly turned around, walking in the opposite direction, an evil smile forming on his lips. He would make her beg for forgiveness less than an hour later.

* * *

"So what did you want to say to me?" Suiren asked with an impatient expression. She was now in a small clearing in the forest, facing Eito, who was wearing a disturbing smile.

"I'll give you one more chance. Will you really not become mine?" Eito replied.

"My answer hasn't changed since the first time you asked the question."

"I see," Eito laughed. "Well, you see, Suiren. I hate it when I can't have what I want. So what do you think I do to items that I can't obtain?"

 _The hell is with this rich-kid syndrome._ "What?" Suiren rolled her eyes, wanting to leave as quickly as possible. She didn't know when Itachi would come back, and didn't want to alert him with her sudden disappearance.

"You'll find out right now!" Eito cackled maniacally. "Guards!"

Immediately, 5 shinobi appeared bowing their heads next to Eito. Suiren wasn't surprised. The shinobi hadn't masked their presences at all, most likely because they had assumed she was a normal person.

"Pathetic." Suiren was starting to get pissed off that she had to deal with such insignificant people in the morning. Should she entertain them or just quickly finish them off?

"Kill her," Eito ordered. One of the ninjas gave an apologetic nod to Suiren and immediately dashed towards her, with only a kunai in his hand. He had thought that a kunai would suffice to finish off the defenseless girl, and didn't think of using a jutsu.

Everyone stared as their comrade fell in the blink of an eye, the kunai clattering to the ground. Suiren was standing next to the fallen body, the fingers of her hand extended. She had killed with one touch to the shinobi's neck.

She stared at the shinobi in disappointment, then looked back in the others' direction.

"Next."

* * *

A/N: Hello, finally an update! Sorry for being so late, school+writer's block is a deadly combo...


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Eito and his guards stared in shock at the sight of the shinobi who had fallen so easily.

"You were a kunoichi as well, Suiren?" Eito laughed. "Well, that makes this more interesting. How will you fare against my Jonin-ranked guards altogether? All of you, attack together!"

The shinobi became serious, forming a number of seals so that they could attack Suiren at the same time. Suiren waited patiently for them to get into formation, smirking at their amateur tactics. While the spectacle was amusing, she knew she didn't have much time before Itachi would finish eating his snack. She had to finish everything quickly. Maybe it was time to give her purple eye a chance. Suiren closed her left eye.

"Six Paths: Deva Path," She whispered just as the 4 ninja leaped towards her. Her left eyes burst open, revealing the unfamiliar purple to the men attacking her. Before any of them had a chance to react, their bodies were simultaneously thrown to the ground. They didn't even have a chance to react because the harsh impact to the ground immediately killed them.

Eito watched in disbelief as he saw the frightening scene unfold in front of him.

"You… That eye… What are you?!" He cried out.

Suiren ignored him, blinking her eye. She took a step to face Eito, but suddenly a wave of dizziness fell over her. Groaning, Suiren held her head as she tried to steady herself. She had made a careless mistake. Because she had used up all of her chakra last night healing Itachi, all of it had not recovered yet. Not to mention, she wasn't fully used to using the Rinnegan because there weren't many chances to use it. To combat the spinning around her, she crouched on the grass.

Eito had been fully prepared to run for his life, but he paused when he saw Suiren fall to the ground. He had a chance to finish what his useless guards could not. Grinning, he grabbed a knife from his belt and slowly walked over to Suiren.

"Your stamina is pretty low, isn't it?" He chuckled as he drew closer to her. Suiren smirked at his cluelessness. Her dizziness had been momentary and was already clearing. Just a few more steps and she would be able to catch him off guard.

"Goodbye, my dear Suiren," Eito laughed as he raised his hand at the seemingly unconscious Suiren. But just as he was about to swing his blade down, he felt a huge force fly into him.

"Argh!" He cried as he crashed into a tree, feeling his bones break by the impact.

Suiren's head swung up in surprise, hearing the chime of a bell before catching sight of the black robe.

"Suiren!" Itachi kneeled down and caressed Suiren's face as he quickly analyzed her body for injuries. Much to Suiren's surprise, his usually cool face with filled with anger, and a bit of fear.

"Itachi… kun?" Suiren softly said. Itachi narrowed his eyes when he saw Suiren's Rinnegan. She had to use such a powerful jutsu against her enemies?

"Wait here. I'll finish him off," Itachi growled as he stood up and walked to Eito's crumpled figure.

Eito's eyes widened when he saw Itachi come towards him.

"Stop! Don't come! I can give you a lot of money if you spare me!" He shamelessly yelled. Itachi expressionlessly knelt down, grabbing him by his hair.

"Too late," He snarled as his eyes turned a blood red shade.

Eito froze. "Y-you're… Uchiha… Ita-" His words were cut off as his world fell into darkness.

Itachi stood up, his body still shaking from the anger. He couldn't calm himself down from the bubbling emotions spilling out.

"Suiren," He muttered as he turned around to check how she was doing.

Suiren had already stood up during the time he had killed the boy.

"I'm okay, Itachi-kun," She whispered, trying to calm him down. She had never seen him so emotionally unstable before.

Itachi paused, then strode over quickly. He grabbed Suiren's wrist, then abruptly let go when he saw her wince. His eyes stared at the bruises on her wrist, his body still trembling slightly. Suiren quickly held his face, forcing him to look her in the eyes.

"I'm fine, Itachi-kun," She soothingly said. "I just wanted to try out my Rinnegan but ended up overusing it. My chakra is back. I'm really okay now."

Suiren swiftly led Itachi to another clearing, where they didn't have to see the bodies.

Itachi's eyes didn't leave Suiren's the whole time. "Who was he, and why did he attack you?" He demanded.

"Just some insignificant boy who was trying to make me marry him. I guess his pride couldn't take the rejection which caused him to act out."

Upon hearing her explanation, Itachi grew to hate the dead boy even more. It had already bothered him earlier when the childish teens at the market had tried to grab Suiren's attention with their stupid antics. If he hadn't come back in time and followed Suiren's chakra, he didn't know what he would have done.

Those men had no right to get closer to Suiren. He had known her before they did. They only liked her because of her appearance. He had been the one to be by her side since they had first met. He was the one who knew her best. It was him who held back all the time, while those fools annoyingly tried to court her.

He didn't like the sight of any other man being beside her. It infuriated him. He knew he shouldn't, and yet, he couldn't hold himself back anymore. His heart was at its limit.

"Itachi-kun?" Suiren noticed his weird expression, and worriedly called out his name. Hearing her call out his name in her sweet voice, Itachi couldn't restrain himself anymore.

He grabbed Suiren's arm, yanking her whole body towards him. With the other arm he wrapped it around her waist and trapped her so that their bodies were touching. Lifting her chin, Itachi's lips were on hers in less than a second, kissing her passionately. Suiren couldn't even let out a squeak as Itachi didn't allow her a chance to take in oxygen.

Suiren initially froze at his sudden move, not understanding what was happening. Her mind was blank until she registered what was happening. She couldn't believe that she was being kissed by the man she loved. Never in her lifetime had she expected it to happen. His touch made her feel like she was melting. Shakily, Suiren slowly raised her arms. She grabbed Itachi's cloak with her small hands, returning his kiss, hesitantly, then just as fervently. Feeling the pull of his clothes and the return of her kiss, Itachi's kiss grew more ardent. He continuously pushed Suiren until her back was against the tree.

Since Suiren was so short, he had to bend his back, which was making him uncomfortable as he continued kissing her. Finally, he gave Suiren a chance to breathe, but his lips didn't leave her skin, instead roaming to her neck and ear.

Suiren's mind was a mess. She didn't notice that Itachi had lifted her, but her legs impulsively wrapped around his waist as she gasped for air. Then Itachi's lips crashed back onto hers, this time with an even greater fire. The two stayed in that position for a while, alone in the silence of the forest, until Itachi noticed Suiren's grip start to weaken.

Itachi forced himself to detach from Suiren's soft lips, and both breathed heavily, their faces holding a matching shade of blush.

"Itachi-kun, wh-" Suiren's words were cut off as she tried to regain her composure, the tears smarting in her eyes. She didn't want to give herself false hope.

Itachi stared deeply at Suiren, his gaze unwavering. He leaned towards her ear, hugging her again tightly.

"I'm sorry for taking so long, but now I know for sure," He whispered firmly.

Suiren couldn't hold back her tears anymore, and they dripped onto Itachi's cloak, soaking into his shirt.

Itachi gave a small grin, his eyes soft.

"I love you, Suiren. I'll be only yours, so will you be mine?"

Suiren wrapped her arms around Itachi's neck, bringing him as close to her as possible, her tears still streaming down her face.

"I've always been yours, since even before… we met, Itachi… kun…" She whispered before she felt the nausea come over her once more. The lack of oxygen had caused her to pass out again.

Itachi caressed the sleeping Suiren in his arms, wiping away the tears with his thumb. He smiled gently. His heart was full of warmth at the sight of the girl he loved. He quickly formed a seal, transporting the ingredients for that day's breakfast back home, then carefully lifted Suiren up in his arms. Instead of teleporting back home with a jutsu, he decided that it wouldn't be so bad to walk the long distance back this time, especially if he was able to do so while gazing at a certain girl's sleeping face.

* * *

A/N: Hello everyone, it's been a while since the last chapter hasn't it? A lot of stuff has been happening and I've been very busy. It kinda made me lose the will to write. It doesn't help that school started again. I will try my best though, so hopefully the next chapter won't take as long!


	29. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Suiren kept her eyes closed as she yawned, not wanting to face reality just yet. She turned to her right side to shift into a more comfortable position, but her face was met by the impact of a soft thing, and something else wrapping over her waist.

"Ung?" Suiren frowned, then opened her eyes. What greeted her was the sight of a black shirt with a fishnet detail over the chest area. Itachi. Suiren glanced up to see his watchful eyes staring back at her. The moment she did, everything that had happened that morning came back to her. From grocery shopping, to the encounter with Eito and his shinobi, then Itachi saving her, and then their-

"Ah."

Suiren blushed immediately and impulsively tried to get away from Itachi's embrace, but he pinned her to the mattress, positioning himself so that she was trapped in between his arms and legs. The two stayed in that position for a few seconds, staring at each other's eyes in silence.

Suiren almost forgot to breathe as Itachi slowly bent down, bringing his face closer while maintaining eye contact. Their noses briefly touched, then he moved upwards to lay a gentle kiss on her forehead, causing a shiver to run through her whole body. His lips stayed on her forehead for a long time, before he finally moved away and looked Suiren at the eyes again, giving a soft smile.

"It's not a dream," He said loftily, his sentence snapping Suiren back into reality. Tears formed near the corner of her eyes as she soaked in the meaning of his words.

"Really?" She tentatively asked in a small voice.

"Really."

"You're telling the truth…?"

"I am."

"But… How?"

Itachi's heart winced a little when he saw the confusion in her expression. Suiren frantically tried to form a logical conclusion in her mind, but her thoughts were suddenly interrupted. In a split second, she felt herself being lifted from the bed and into Itachi's embrace, her hands and cheek against his chest. His touch was warm and soft, bringing a calming effect to her turbulent mind.

"I'm sorry it took so long for me to realize my feelings," He started. "Truthfully, it's been mutual since a long time ago. I just held myself back because someone like me doesn't deserve this kind of happiness, and it might put you in danger. But now, I don't want to regret anymore. Will you accept me, Suiren?"

Suiren buried her face even farther into Itachi's chest. "You already know my answer."

Itachi's smile grew. "This time, I won't be holding myself back anymore," He promised as he ran his hand through Suiren's hair, twirling the rare red around his finger. "I'll make up for the lost time and prove myself with my actions, alright?"

"… Okay."

"Then from today, we're officially lovers."

Suiren returned Itachi's gesture by wrapping her arms around his waist, squeezing him tightly. The two stayed in the position a bit longer, the room silent except for the sound of their breathing, until Suiren had to break the silence because she couldn't take the heat anymore.

"What time is it?" She asked as she finally loosened her grip on her beloved.

"Just in time for dinner."

"Oh, it's already night time…?" _That explains my grumbling stomach_. "We shouldn't be late."

"Hn."

* * *

The whole time at the table, Suiren felt as if she were floating. The world seemed to be in a dreamlike state, and her chopsticks froze midair as she suddenly remembered Itachi's words, the memory unconsciously bringing a smile to her lips.

The flowery atmosphere surrounding her was too much for everyone at the table; it was as if they were being blinded by some invisible light. A flurry of side glances was exchanged across the table, but nobody knew the reason for Suiren's behavior. Only Itachi acted normal, holding his rice bowl gracefully.

"Argh, I can't take it anymore!" Deidara yelled as he sprang from his chair, creating a scratching sound as the wooden legs scraped across the floor. "I'm eating in my room, yeah!" He huffed as he grabbed his bowl and stomped off.

Suiren snapped out of her trance just as Deidara disappeared into the hallway.

"What's wrong with him?" She asked innocently, tilting her head to the side. All she received were mixed stares of disbelief.

"I wonder if the world is ending soon…" Sasori shook his head as he placed his empty dishes into the sink and left. The others followed him with thoughtful expressions, leaving only Suiren, Itachi, and Kisame at the table now.

Kisame eyed the two, then grinned. "I think I might be the only one with an idea," He chortled, then stood as well. "Well, I guess I'll leave you two alone now. Don't get ahead of yourself, Itachi. I'm not sure how thin these walls are…"

Itachi rolled his eyes as Kisame's laugh echoed in the hallway.

"What's he talking about?" Suiren asked.

"Nothing. Are you done?" Itachi changed the subject. Suiren looked down at her half-eaten bowl, and quickly stuffed the rest of its contents into her mouth, swallowing with a little difficulty.

"Done."

Itachi resisted the urge to laugh out loud. "Let's return to my room then."

Since it was nearing summer, it was still light outside, so the two spent some extra time together instead of returning to their respective quarters. Suiren opened up a botany book about poisonous plants, while Itachi sat in his chair as usual with a book about forbidden jutsus. But not even a few minutes had passed when Itachi noticed a certain someone's stare on him.

"Do you need anything, Suiren?" Itachi smiled gently as he turned to face her. Suiren's face blushed as she realized she had been caught looking since the beginning.

Itachi waited, but Suiren remained silent. It reminded him of the times when they had first met. Suiren had kept silent for the most part, and only talked when he spoke to her first. She had really changed throughout the moments they had spent together. She was also more open with her expressions. Well, he could say the same for himself.

Itachi closed his book. "Why don't we take a break today?" He suggested as he rose from his seat.

"?" Suiren stared in confusion as he sat on his bedside instead.

"Come here, Suiren," Itachi beckoned to her.

Suiren's heart skipped a beat as she drew closer. How could she go against his wishes when he was asking with such a gentle voice and sweet smile? She sat next to him, but Itachi pulled her shoulders until she was laying on his lap. Suiren immediately grew stiff, and stared and Itachi accusingly.

"Relax," Itachi smirked as he leaned his face over hers. Suiren could feel his hair tickling her cheeks, and the only thing she could do to distract herself was stare into Itachi's seemingly endless irises.

"-ful," She mumbled.

"Hm?"

"Beautiful."

"Yours are, as well."

Suiren felt that the more she stared, the more she was drawn into those black orbs. It was as if she was being sucked into them, as if they were tempting her to be mesmerized forever. She wouldn't have minded it if it really happened. But Itachi brought her out of her dream with his next words.

"Suiren."

"Huh?"

"Do you think… you would be able to tell me about your past now?"

Suiren blinked. It was an unexpected question that had slightly ruined the peaceful and sweet atmosphere. She supposed he had been curious the whole time, but had been respectful enough to not ask until now.

"I…" Suiren lifted herself up from Itachi's lap, sitting upright while facing away from him. She had always been planning to tell him someday, but now that that time had arrived, she didn't know what to say. Her heart felt a pang as she recalled her childhood. Even though she had two personas inside her, it would be a lie to say that her experiences as a child in the shinobi world didn't affect her at all. The hurt that she felt as Suiren before her memories returned were also a part of her.

"If you don't want to, it's alright," Itachi tried to console Suiren when she didn't reply. He was slightly disappointed, but he didn't want to push her to say anything against her will.

"No, it's not that, Itachi-kun," Suiren said quietly. "It's just…" She smiled ruefully. "I'm not quite sure how to tell it to you…"

Itachi could hear the unsteadiness of Suiren's voice and the slight trembling of her body. Was her childhood really that painful?

"Suiren, look at me," Itachi coaxed her as he calmly took hold of her shoulders and turned her to face him. Suiren slowly locked eyes with his, her face grim.

"It's okay. I'm here with you now. Nothing can get to you now that you're with me. Do you trust me?" He asked seriously.

Suiren pondered over his words, then nodded. She visibly relaxed at his soothing words. Of course, this wasn't like back then. Even if Shisui wasn't here anymore to comfort her, she had Itachi-kun now.

Suiren leaned into Itachi's arms, her cheek resting against his cheek and one hand grasping his shirt.

"Okay, I'm ready," She took a deep breath and exhaled. "You see, it started when I was three years old… Actually, it would be easier for me to just show you my memories with my Mangekyo."

"Are you sure?" Itachi asked in surprise.

"Yea, I'll be okay since you'll be with me. And I'm sure you would like to see Shisui as well."

"I'll be holding you the entire time."

"… Hn."

Suiren grip on Itachi's shirt tightened as she activated her red genjutsu and stared at Itachi. And just like that, they had gone back to the time when she was thrown away into the Hyuuga household. The memories all passed by, to the time she spent training at the Hyuuga's, to when she was almost forcefully branded with the curse and awakened the Sharingan, and then when she was thrown back to the Uchihas and trapped in the secret room. Itachi clenched his hands in anger when he saw the scenes unfold. He felt a fire raging in his heart as he saw the young Suiren get abused. Even he had received love as a child, but she had received none of it since the beginning. It broke his heart to see her pass the days sitting expressionlessly against the wall.

Suiren could feel his grip tightening on her hand. She rubbed his hand soothingly.

"It gets better," She promised.

The next scenes were filled with Shisui. Itachi saw Shisui's surprised expression as he discovered Suiren, and his earnest efforts to bring her as much joy as possible. Then came the part where Suiren awakened her special ocular jutsu and spent her days watching his and Shisui's activities. They also saw the day of Suiren's birthday, where she had received Itachi's stolen hair-tie as a gift.

"Ahh, I forgot about this part… How embarrassing," Suiren blushed.

Itachi was incredulous. Now he understood why she would say confusing things about knowing everything about him and being on his side from the beginning.

But the fluffy atmosphere immediately took a dark turn as Suiren's memories finally reached the end, with Shisui entering her room the night of the Uchiha Massacre.

"Ah," Suiren unconsciously took a step back as she saw Shisui's bloody face. The couple watched as Shisui made kid Suiren agree to his promises, then sealed her in the casket. Then the dimension turned black, signifying that she had entered her coma state.

The two returned to reality. Itachi sat stunned for a few seconds, then snapped out of his thoughts to check on Suiren. She was very pale, and her face had a horrified expression and a thin layer of sweat. Her palm had turned stark white from gripping his shirt so tight.

"Suiren. Suiren!" Itachi grabbed her hand, and the action woke Suiren from her daze.

"Ah, Itachi-kun… I… Huh?" Suiren started, then stopped as tears suddenly poured down her face. She couldn't stop the flow of tears. All she could do was sit quietly and cry. "I'm sorry…" She mumbled out as the two faced each other. "I guess… I'm just so relieved that I was finally able to tell someone my story."

"Suiren…" Itachi reached forward and brought Suiren back into his embrace to comfort her. "It's alright. You'll never be alone again in that dark place. I'm here for you now. I'll always be by your side."

He hugged her even harder, burying his into her hair. At that moment, all Itachi could think about was to protect Suiren with his life. All thoughts about Sasuke and his future plans were forgotten. His head was just full of thoughts of his beloved.

Suiren nodded slightly as she felt his arms tighten around her. She wasn't sure if Itachi would keep his promise, but she did know that his words at that moment were genuine. His words made her smile.

"I'm going to keep you accountable for what you just said," She gave a small laugh, then yawned. All the crying had made her eyelids feel heavy.

"Alright," Itachi agreed, then adjusted his position so that the both of them were laying down on the bed.

"Good night, Itachi-kun," Suiren yawned again and snuggled up against his chest.

"Good night, Suiren," Itachi kissed her forehead, but Suiren had already fallen into a deep sleep by then. Her face looked the most peaceful it had ever been that night.

* * *

A/N: Long time no see everyone! It's been a difficult past few months. But it's now winter break so I tried to make this chapter a bit longer to make up for my long absence. I'm determined to finish this story though, no matter how long it takes, so please bear with me. As always, thank you for even reading my story! It honestly means so much to know there are people out there who think that the stories I've kept in my head are worth reading. Happy holidays!


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